Pokota's Plight
by Relm Wanderer
Summary: Post Slayers Revolution and Evolution R. After all his sacrifice Pokota thought he had gotten everything he wanted. But loneliness is a hard beast to bare. This will be an eventual Pokota/Amelia fic.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes: Usually when it comes to people that support alternate pairings that include Lina/Zelgadis, it's usually Lina/Zel, Gourry/Sylphiel and Xellos/Filia/Val._

_Amelia is usually left out in the cold._

_Sometimes she's paired with Xellos, but usually if she is paired with anyone it's a mary sue type pairing. (And yes I am guilty of this myself)_

_Since watching Slayers Revolution and Evolution R I got to thinking about the idea of Amelia/Pokota. I've seen one fanfic with this pairing so far, but not much else. (Not that I've been looking very hard, I'm sure more exist.) And in my head I couldn't shake the idea of two so this fanfic idea formed in my head one day while I was at work. I know Amelia/Zelgadis fans would be annoyed with me for it, but you know what if you watched R and ER you'd see that there's not really any A/Z action going on save for the chess game. I'm not sure if I'm 100 % for Pokota/Amelia but I'd thought I'd give this a shot. _

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter One, Playing God

By Relm

Pokota had gotten exactly what he had wanted. Tarforashia had awakened and all the people were healthy and safe. He would have done anything to save his home, even gave up his life for his kingdom. But his life wasn't needed to save the day after all and he ended up back in the body of the stuffed doll he had been trapped in since this whole mess had started.

That had originally been okay for Pokota. He had given up his body to Rezo in order to wake everyone else. He knew once he made that decision he was never going to be human again. So for the love of his kingdom he'd done anything.

But now almost a year after the fact Pokota started to feel the gravity of that rushed decision. Being a stuffed animal did have its advantages; if he lost a piece of himself a new piece could be sewn on. Though small he was quite agile and quick. And he didn't lose his magic abilities in that form. But loneliness trumped all in the end.

When news spread of Tarforashia's return many people flocked to the kingdom. Though many were aware of what had happened to Prince Posel they were still shocked by it. A crown prince with the body of a stuffed doll? It was hard for people to take him seriously. The princesses in the neighbouring kingdoms scoffed at his appearance. Not a single one of them would consider him a future suitor. Who'd want to marry a little doll? Amelia was the only one who treated him normally. But then she had gotten to know him and knew what the conditions were the lead up to appearance. He had wondered if Amelia would be like the others had she not gotten to know him first. And though the people of his own kingdom were kind and fair to him they didn't treat him like any other normal prince.

Pokota looked longingly at the happy couples that went about their days holding hands, whispering to each other and sharing those loving embraces. Would he ever find love trapped in a body of a doll? He knew even if he could that he wouldn't be able to have children. So that left Tarforashia in a lurch. Who would carry on ruling the kingdom when he was gone? Of course Pokota didn't know how long he would live as a doll. Maybe he was immortal. Though that would be good for his kingdom he did make him depressed. Living forever meant nothing if you had to live it alone.

It was on a recent trip to Sailune that Pokota had decided on something that would change the course of his life. Pokota and his father had gone to Sailune to negotiate trading deals between kingdoms. Really only Pokota's father was needed, Pokota wasn't necessary for this, as it was just his father and Prince Phil talking. Pokota's father decided that having Pokota come with him would help alleviate some of his son's growing depression.

So he spent the day with Amelia, eating lunch and having her show in around the castle. But when they got to the castle library Amelia had to be called away, so that left Pokota looking around at the many books Sailune's royal library had to offer.

There was a big stack of recently acquired books on chimeras, curses and anything to do with Rezo put especially aside. From what Pokota learned from talking to the guards in the castle any time Prince Phil or Amelia acquired any books of this nature it was put aside for Zelgadis so that he could read them the next time he came to visit. Pokota had been told that Amelia did this because then she would have reasons to lure Zelgadis back to Sailune. The guards were convinced that Amelia was in love with the chimera and would do anything to keep him in Sailune and with her.

Pokota scoffed at this. During his whole time with Amelia and the others he saw nothing to support this supposed fact. Yes the pair did spend a bit more time together, but there was nothing romantic in nature that Pokota could see. And he should know; he'd spent quite a fair bit of time with Amelia during that adventure. Of course Amelia had asked Zelgadis to come back with her to Sailune after the fight with ghost of Shabranigdo and he said he'd think about it. But Zelgadis didn't go with her. He did was he was known to do, go off chasing another means to return his body to normal. If Amelia did love Zelgadis, then he clearly didn't return these affections. So Pokota figured the guards thought wrong, or maybe Amelia did have feelings for the cursed chimera but they had faded.

There were so many books to look at in the library but Pokota couldn't shake his interest in the pile reserved for Zelgadis. So he causally looked through them. Much of it didn't appear to be useful for what Zelgadis needed. If the chimera did return it would be nothing.

Pokota was going to go onto other books not in the pile till he reached one about Rezo's work with koppis. Though Rezo was better known for his work with chimeras it appeared he did know a fair bit more about koppis then Pokota had originally thought. This is sparked an idea in Pokota's head. An ambitious and somewhat immoral idea. And though he knew it was wrong to even think about what he could do with that information in the book he took it anyway. The stuffed doll crown prince unzipped the zipper on his stomach and slipped the book in before making a hasty retreat from the library.

...

For almost a month Pokota refused to look at the book. Looking at the book meant that he was seriously considering something that many would frown upon. But curiosity got the best of him and after a month he begun to read the book.

It was a diary of Rezo's detailing his research into making koppis. It looked like Rezo had originally had the idea of making a koppi of himself to transfer his soul into so that he could have his sight. But it seemed that no matter how many koppis Rezo made, they all turned out the same, blind. So therefore Rezo abandoned this research and went onto the idea of transferring his soul into another body altogether.

This research was by no means a how to guide on making a koppi but it gave Pokota groundwork to make his own koppi.

At first he was conflicted on the idea of making a koppi of his human self. What would be the purpose of it? Yes he could make the koppi and transfer his soul into it, but then the koppi who was basically him too would be stuck in a doll. So was that actually fair? To make a life just to doom it?

Eventually Pokota came to a decision. He would see if he could merge his soul with the koppi's becoming one person or just leave the koppi be. That way the koppi could get married and have children thus continuing on the Tarforashia bloodline. Though that idea didn't thrill Pokota; but at least that would allow him to live through someone else's life.

So Pokota got what he needed and secretly hid himself away in a makeshift lab. No one was aware of what he was doing. He couldn't let anyone know, making koppis was illegal in most parts of the world. Only the gods were allowed the power to create and control life. This went against the laws of nature. But Pokota did it anyway.

...

For many months Pokota worked tirelessly on his koppi. The process turned out to be harder than he had thought. Not having fresh tissue samples to work with proved to be problematic creating many failures. None of them achieved life or even a human form. The elements didn't merge; they scattered forming nothing. It was very frustrating for the young prince. But this newest koppi, Pokota was sure this one was going to work. Because this was the last of his supplies, he couldn't make another one without raising suspicions.

While he was waiting for his new koppi to form Pokota worked on the two Hellmaster jars he would need. Thankfully Pokota had lots of information on the jars and even found one the Rezo had made but never used. So that meant Pokota only needed one for what he intended to do if he actually decided to do it. Yes he was still pondering the idea of stealing the koppi's body, but least in order to hopefully merge with the koppi he'd still need one jar.

The machine hissed and whistled as the pod opened revealing the newly formed koppi. As the steam cleared Pokota held his breath hoping for the best.

The elements had merged this time; there was a body in the pod. At first glance it looked like Pokota save for the hair. The hair still had the same length though instead of the little tuffs that stuck straight up at the top of his head Pokota's koppi had bangs that hung low covering some of his closed eyes. The colour of the hair was the same except for a couple dark purple streaks going down one side.

"Hello?" Pokota called out his koppi.

Koppi Pokota opened his eyes. Instead of Pokota's hazel gold eyes, one of the eyes was yellow while the other a bright icy blue. Koppi Pokota turned his head and looked at Pokota with a strange smile on his face.

"Hey, can you hear me? Do you know who I am?" Pokota asked once more.

Koppi Pokota didn't respond he just stared out into space.

...

Several tests confirmed what Pokota had feared. Yes the koppi was physically perfect albeit the minor differences, but mentally the koppi was no brighter than a vegetable. Pokota surmised that his koppi only had the mentality of dog or a cat. And the koppi acted like a domesticated animal too. It ate, slept and looked around at things that caught its' limited interest, but it wasn't capable of speaking or communicating in any way. Nor did it have any interest in it. It was just happy and content to sit around napping and eating.

Pokota wasn't sure what to do. He had created this life, and he knew he didn't have any right to end it. But what sort of life could this mindless creature have?

But it turned out that Koppi Pokota made that decision for Pokota. The koppi while exploring accidently activated the Hellmaster jars. Both Pokota and the koppi's souls were sucked into the jars.

'Darn.' Pokota mentally cursed. 'What am I going to do now?' Being trapped in the jar he couldn't see or feel anything. "Hello!" Pokota screamed. "Can anyone hear me? HELP!" He screamed. But it was all in vain. Pokota had made his lab a very secluded place underground. Even if he was in his own body screaming at the top of his lungs no one was going to hear him down there. He was trapped with no way to get out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Two, Switch

By Relm

Three days went by and no one had seen or heard from Prince Posel. This got the kingdom in an uproar. Where had their crown prince gone?

At first many had assumed that Pokota had gone to Sailune secretly to see Amelia. As Amelia was the only princess that showed any interested in the stuffed doll prince. But a few messenger pigeons later it was confirmed that Pokota wasn't in Sailune.

Then the thought went on to kidnapping. But that was unlikely as Pokota was quite strong with his magic so any kidnapping attempt would have him defending himself causing a lot of noise and destruction. That and the would be kidnappers had not sent a ransom note.

So by process of elimination it was decided that Pokota still had to be in Tarforashia. But where?

Every able body person searched tirelessly for Prince Posel. They checked any known place Pokota tended to go and then places he didn't usually. They used magic in their searches, fearing that Pokota had gotten trapped somewhere in one of the old underground passages.

Pokota could hear the rumbling of the earth as his people searched. He even felt it too. Each time someone casted magic above him the jar his soul was trapped in moved from the vibrations. Closer and closer to the edge both the jars got on the tiny little table they were on. Till one big blast got them right on the edge.

'Please one more spell!' Pokota pleaded. He knew how close he was to the edge. But what he didn't know was all the spells above were making the passage he set up his lab in very unstable. It was about to collapse at any moment.

_BOOM! _The sound of another fireball boomed through the tunnel giving the little jars that push they needed.

_CRASH!_

Pokota felt his soul leave the destroyed jar on the ground. He saw that his koppi had also been freed of his jar. Pokota looked to the koppi's body and the stuffed animal on the ground. For a moment Pokota hesitated. He knew that he should go back into the stuffed doll's body and let the koppi go back to his own body. But for a moment he considered the idea of taking the koppi's body. The dust and rocks that fell from the ceiling brought Pokota back to reality. The passage was collapsing.

So making up his mind Pokota went to take his stuffed animal body. Or he would had if koppi Pokota hadn't taken it first. The doll looked up at Pokota with a smile on his face.

'Why did he do that?' Pokota's mind screamed in confusion. More rocks falling over head snapped Pokota back and he did the only thing he could do. He took the body of the koppi. Right away Pokota scooped up his koppi up in his arms while shielding his face. "BEPHIS BRING!" Pokota casted creating a tunnel upwards to escape. "RAY WING!"

The people of Tarforashia were in for a shock. A large hole opened up in the middle of the kingdom and two things flew out. The stuffed animal they knew to be their prince and a boy that looked an awful lot like what their prince had been. But before anyone could question the two, both of them collapsed once they landed.

...

Pokota shielded his eyes from the sunrays poking out from the curtains. He tried in vain to turn his head away from the offending light and hold to sleep that he was wrongfully being robbed off. The smell of food however snapped his sleep mind awake as a tray of food had been placed before him.

The King of Tarforashia looked with curiosity as the boy that looked like his son woke and hungrily ate and drank all that had been placed before him. He had been quite alarmed when he found out what had happened. The boy and what he thought was his son appeared to be in a bad state of dehydration and starvation. The stuffed animal that the King thought was his son had awoken earlier and did as the boy did now, eat and drink like a thirsty and starved creature. Once sated the animal didn't respond or talk like Prince Posel did. He didn't do anything, except walk around examining things like a domesticated pet would. The King hoped that this boy would have answers for him.

"Ah that was great!" Pokota sighed patting his now full belly. Since the bodies had been left not in a containment spell they had suffered the effects of lack of nourishment. So when Pokota casted those two spells it sucked out all the energy left in his koppi's body. Pokota went to stretch while looking up. His father and just about all the guards that could fit in the tiny room where there staring at him. "Um hello...?"

"Posel?" The King dared speak.

"Yes father it's me."

A chorus of cheers rang through the castle as they celebrated not only finding their crown prince alive, but human again.

...

It had taken a few days for Pokota to recover and to explain everything that happened. Though his father had been cross with him engaging in illegal magic he was happy to have his son back. Even if Prince Posel didn't look exactly the way he did.

Koppi Pokota or Kopo as he had been named by the kingdom seemed to be extremely content in his new body. For the most part Kopo stayed with Pokota either following the prince around or happily laying on his shoulder or head. It was very apparent to Pokota that Kopo seemed much happier in the doll form then he did as the koppi Pokota. He still didn't know why his koppi chose to take the body of the doll but he was grateful for it. Because of Kopo he got the chance to be normal again.

Everything seemed to be fine for that first week. But then after a week something went wrong.

Pokota had been just going for a walk around his home when all of a sudden he felt as if his stomach was being ripped in two. He collapsed on the ground clutching his stomach while Kopo fawned over him in great concern. Many gathered around Pokota not knowing what was wrong.

...

The pain lasted a day before Pokota felt better. The healers hadn't been able to help him, nor could the doctors. The pain just went away on its own. They didn't know what it had been but they were thankful it only lasted a day.

The next day however Pokota's head hurt. And the day after that it was one of his legs. Each day brought a new strange pain Pokota had to deal with. Sometimes the pain would last the whole day; sometimes it would last a few hours.

No one was sure what was wrong but Pokota had an idea of what it was. The koppi body that Pokota had taken was unstable. It was dying. He couldn't confirm this but he couldn't ignore that fact.

"Posel we'll get you some help! Someone must know what is wrong with you." The King insisted trying to make his son feel better.

"Father I wouldn't worry, I'll be fine." Pokota lied to his father as he went to get out his bed. "I'll figure something out. But I need to leave; we don't have what I need here to help me."

"No! You mustn't leave! We'll get you help, you need to stay and rest." The King insisted.

"Where would you get the help father? I know you haven't told anyone of my new body. It's because it's the body of a koppi and making koppis is forbidden. Who is going to send healers to help me? I got myself into this mess so I'm going to have to fix it." Pokota insisted. He got up and went to pack some things for the trip he had to take.

"Then I'll send escorts with you." The King decided. After everything that had happened to Pokota, the King wasn't about to let his son run off when he could very well be dying.

"No father, if I'm going to fix this mess I'll need to keep my identity secret. If I go with a lot of guards then people will know who I am."

"Posel I don't like this."

"I know but this is something I have to do alone." Pokota decided as he finished stuff getting ready.

...

As Pokota left Tarforashia he let out a heavy sigh. He wasn't sure of where he could go and as much as he insisted on going alone he wished he had company. With his hood of his cloak pulled over his head shielding his face Pokota started aimlessly walking. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't feel the sudden weight on his left shoulder.

Pokota looked over to his side and noticed that Kopo had decided to come with him. "Well I guess it's okay if you come along." Pokota patted the little stuffed animal on the head.

Kopo smiled happily as he purred slightly.

"Well Kopo I don't know where we should go. There's only one nearby place I can think of that might have the information I need. But I don't know how they are going to react to my situation. They may refuse to help me."

Kopo tilted his head sideways as he looked at Pokota questioningly. It was obvious that little doll didn't quite understand Pokota.

"I'm sure they'd let me at least read some of the books they have." Pokota thought out loud. "Did you take the stuffed animal's body because you knew your koppi body was failing?" Pokota knew he wasn't going to get answer but he felt compelled to ask.

Again Kopo just tilted his head in confusion. It didn't understand Pokota but it seemed like it wanted to.

"I guess it doesn't matter if you knew or not. I decided to play god and this is what I get." As if god was proving his/her point Pokota got a screaming headache that was so sudden and painful that he fell to his knees.

Kopo hopped of Pokota's shoulder and got right in his face hoping to see what was wrong with his creator. He nuzzled Pokota trying to get the prince's attention but the prince was in too much pain to acknowledge the living doll.

When Pokota tried to open his eyes he found that he was blind. The pain was centered behind his eyes messing up his vision. He was aware that Kopo was in front of his but he couldn't see his little stuffed animal koppi. In fact the light from the sun was too bright for Pokota to even keep his blind eyes open. He had no choice but to keep his eyes closed. The pain was so intense that Pokota felt nauseous. With nothing else he could do Pokota curled into a ball under a tree to wait for the new pain to subside.


	3. Chapter 3

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Three, Journey

By Relm

It seemed like an eternity before the newest pain in Pokota's head subsided. Since Pokota had been blinded he had no idea how long he lay in a ball crippled under that tree. After his pain subsided the blindness still slightly lingered. His vision was blurry at best and most things in front of him were fuzzy.

Even though his vision hadn't returned to him completely yet Pokota decided to push forward. He could see enough to know where he was going. It was going to be a long trek for him and he knew that he couldn't afford to waste time. That recent headache was only one of many things he was going to have to deal with. He couldn't stop and let the world go around him each time it happened.

'I have to keep going.' Pokota persevered. The thought had occurred to him that he could just ray wing his way to his decided target location. But with the uncertainty of the rate of degradation of the koppi body he occupied Pokota wasn't so sure magic would be a good idea. For all he knew magic hastened the process. And if magic would shorten his life further then he needed to save his magic abilities for whatever solution he could come up with. 'Assuming there is a solution.' He thought darkly. But really there were two solutions before him already; they were just ones that he didn't want to use.

Both potential solutions would condemn a life. One of them would have Pokota making yet another koppi and switching bodies with that new koppi. The other had Pokota switching back with Kopo, taking his previous doll body and putting Kopo back into his koppi body.

If Pokota were to do either thing he would be doing something worse than playing god like he had before. This time he would be playing god and murdering a life. True if Pokota had been the one who created the life therefore if anyone had the right to take it it was him. But Pokota didn't want to take any lives. Especially ones that he forced into existence.

So that left Pokota where he was at that moment, stumbling his way to the only place he could think of that could have an answer for him.

...

As day turned into night Pokota was tempted to keep going on his trek. Time was a precious thing he couldn't waste so pushing forward seemed like the most logical thing to do. But his fading body said otherwise. Pokota was exhausted and he crumpled to the ground breathing heavily.

The area he had chosen was near a river, one that probably had fish in it. But Pokota didn't have the energy to start a fire let alone fish. He just laid there staring up into the stars thankful that his vision had returned so that he could see them.

Though Pokota was content to just lay there Kopo wasn't. He was hungry and though the little doll animal knew no concept of fishing it dived into the river chasing after whatever life he could find under the water.

Pokota heard the splashing and was aware of what Kopo was doing. 'He's going to get cold after doing that. I'd better make a fire.' Energy was a fleeting thing for Pokota but he was determined to make sure that his little koppi was kept healthy and safe. He was the reason Kopo came into life and it was his responsible to look after the little creature.

Sleep threatened the young prince as he gathered together all the nearby things he could find to make a fire. 'Stay awake!' Pokota pleaded with himself.

Thankfully Pokota had packed a flint, so magic wasn't necessary to start the fire. It roared to life and the comfort of the heat from the flames started to lull Pokota to sleep.

That is until something cold wet and slimy had been dropped into his lap.

"What?" Pokota looked down in his lap and found several large fish were flapping around. He looked to his right and saw Kopo looking rather proud with a pile of several more fish flapping round in front of him.

Pokota was determined to look after Kopo but it seemed that Kopo was also determined to look after him as well.

"I suppose you want me to cook these?" Pokota questioned the living doll.

Again Kopo cocked his head to one side clearly not understanding the crown prince of Tarforashia. But the eagerness on his face said that he was excited about something.

Pokota couldn't help but laugh. "Alright you dry yourself up by the fire and I'll make us dinner."

...

That next morning greeted Pokota with a new pain to deal with. An intense pain in his throat. It hurt so much that breathing irritated it causing him to cough. That is what woke the prince up, the coughing.

In his sleep Pokota had been dreaming about swimming. It had been a peaceful dream until something in the water grabbed him and pulled under. He flailed around trying to get his head above water but the more he struggled the further down he went. Unable to breath Pokota gasped for air causing a coughing fit. When he awoke he was unable to stop coughing.

Pokota coughed so hard that it in turn hurt his stomach with each painful convulsion. The weight of his body was resting on his knees as he was bent over clutching his stomach with each hard forceful cough. The more he coughed the more he felt like he was going to vomit; it was just too hard on his stomach. His whole body rippled in pain as he was powerless to do anything to stop it.

Blood came out of his mouth in splashes as he vomited it up. Blood and bile mixed together on the ground painting the brown earth with a disturbing picture.

Thankfully for Pokota this was one of his shorter lasting pain episodes. As quickly as it came the pain went away and Pokota's breaths were shallow. The fluids left a horrible taste in his mouth but he didn't trust himself to drink any water. Pokota was afraid that anything besides air going down his throat would start up the coughing again. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, Pokota was too shaky to even manage to get himself to the river to drink. He felt so drained and almost ready to pass out.

Kopo looked around helplessly at his 'master'. He desperately wanted to help his master but his limited intelligence couldn't grasp the situation. So Kopo just nuzzled the prince's face hoping to at least comfort him.

Pokota patted the living doll on the head with the barest of smiles emerging on his strained face. He tried to speak to the doll to thank him but he found that he now lacked his voice. Pokota had been muted.

'I hope this is temporary like the blindness.' Pokota thought grimly as his shaking body calmed a bit.

...

With each new area he reached Pokota had to deal with new pains. After his throat his stomach started hurting. After his stomach it was his arm. After his arm it was his shoulder. It just went on and on. But Pokota didn't let it stop him. He just kept going on.

Though each pain was different and it seemed to jump around his body at random Pokota found himself starting to get used to it. The pain didn't have such a strong effect on him as it had. It didn't cripple him to the point of not being able to move.

One thing Pokota found out quickly was that the more he ate the better he felt. It didn't erase all pain but it did make it more tolerable. His body was using up more energy than it had stored and it needed more food to compensate.

Worrying about not being able to carry much from the sudden bursts of pain Pokota hadn't packed a lot food. And because he was afraid of being recognized Pokota also stayed on the trails that weren't near towns. So getting an abundance of food on his own wasn't something Pokota could do.

But since the fishing incident Kopo realized that food did help his master so the little living doll constantly scavenged for edible things during their trek. Kopo would run off ahead of Pokota and bring back edible plants, fruits and even vegetables. The doll would even hunt for animals like rabbits, deer, large birds and wild boars. The first couple tries found Kopo being chased by the animals he was trying to hunt. But after a few tries Kopo would succeed and would gladly present his prizes to his master.

Pokota was eternally grateful for the things his koppi did. Because of Kopo, Pokota had the strength to continue on their journey.

...

It felt like months since Pokota started out on this trek with his living doll koppi. But in reality it had only been a couple days. Long hard days filled with much pain and frustration.

Pokota almost cried when he caught site of the place he was trekking to. It was still a couple hours away but just the glimpse of it from afar filled Pokota with the hope that he had been so desperately lacking in the recent dark days.

Kopo also seemed excited to see the place they were heading to. Or rather Kopo was excited that Pokota was excited. As long as Pokota was happy Kopo was happy as well. He hopped forward and ran ahead. Occasionally Kopo would look behind him to make sure that Pokota was following. As if to urge the young prince to go faster.

Pokota didn't need this encouragement to keep going. Once seeing the majestic beauty that is Sailune before him it was all he needed to go on.

Once he and Kopo were close to Sailune Pokota motioned for the doll to come back to him.

Kopo looked back and forth between his master and Sailune anxiously. Kopo wanted badly to run and dash into Sailune but he couldn't disobey his master. So Kopo reluctantly went to his master's feet.

Pokota scooped up the little doll and hide him in his cloak. Making sure that he had his face well covered Pokota entered Sailune.

Sailune was busy as usual with lots of friendly smiling faces greeting each other. There was always this strange effect Sailune on people. You could be upset and angry but as soon as you set foot into Sailune your soul would be calmed and your mood brightened. Sailune was known as the most friendly and cheerful kingdom of all the lands but whether it was because of the land from which it stood or the people that lived there was unknown. In Sailune you just felt safe.

Though these statements were true Pokota didn't feel much better walking through Sailune. His body ached from all the traveling and he was uneasy in the stomach. He was afraid to face Amelia and Prince Philonel. Would they help him or would they turn him away?

The laws were very clear about Koppis in Sailune. It was illegal to engage in the creation of koppis. Playing god wasn't something that looked upon lightly in Sailune. Especially after what had happened in Siaraag when Koppi Rezo destroyed the city. If you were caught making a koppi in Sailune you would definitely be thrown in the dungeon with very little chances of getting out.

Of course Pokota had already made the koppi therefore the damage was done. And given that it happened in Tarforashia and not Sailune it would be up the ruling of Tarforashia of whether or not Pokota should be jailed. And since koppi research was only frowned upon in his country Pokota wasn't worried about being arrested in Sailune.

That being said neither Amelia nor Prince Phil had an obligation to help him. In their eyes he had done something illegal in their kingdom and aiding him even to save his life would make them guilty in association of the same crime. The situation was a delicate one that worried Pokota weighing heavily on his mind and soul as he snuck his way into the castle.


	4. Chapter 4

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Four, Tears

By Relm

Pokota sneaked his way through the halls of Sailune castle. Due to his many visits Pokota was quite familiar with the layout of the castle. He was able to make his way through the halls towards his destination. Amelia's room.

Of course the bedroom of a princess was what you'd expect it to be. Massively large to the point that it was almost as wide as a small house. Amelia's closet alone was the size of a normal person's bedroom. She had a massive bed, several items of furniture which included a very long table with several chairs. It looked like a dining room table but it appeared that Amelia used this table as a desk.

Pokota stood in the shadow behind a pillar as he watched Amelia. He was trying to be quiet and still as he tried to decide what he was going to do next. He had spent all that time trying to get to Sailune and now that he was there he wasn't sure how he should approach Amelia.

Amelia was busy working on some papers her focus completely on her work. She was so consumed with her work that she was completely unaware that she had company. If you were to guess the subject of the papers it wouldn't be hard to figure out that it was to do with justice.

Unconsciously Amelia re-adjusted the hem of her dress. She was wearing that frilly pink dress again. It was the same dress that Pokota had seen her in may times when he visited. It was light pink, very tight and fitted in the bodice and flared out with many ruffles.

Ordinarily the sight of Amelia in this dress didn't faze Pokota too much. Yes she was a pretty girl, and she had made him blush from time to time. But he never went gaga over her appearance before. But this time was different.

It was if he had spent his life in a fog not coming to full grasp of the beauty of a woman. Looking at Amelia he couldn't help but admire her, and notice just how low cut that dress was. It was quite tight too especially in that one area below her neck...

Pokota had to look away. He knew from the hotness he felt in his cheeks that he was blushing. 'What the hell is wrong with me? I was never like this before around Amelia.' He went to look at Amelia gain this time he tried to just look at her face. At her porcelain skin, her shiny black hair, her baby blue eyes, her kissable pouty lips...

Pokota almost bashed his head against the pillar. There he was dying and he couldn't look at Amelia without acting like a hormone crazed teenager. True when in the body of he stuffed animal Amelia had been able to make Pokota blush. But it was nothing like the effect she was having on him at that moment.

'Is it because I'm in a human body now and not a stuffed animal?' Pokota wondered lightly hitting his head against the stone pillar.

Though Pokota was having trouble getting his nerves together to face Amelia, Kopo was more than eager to see Amelia. Kopo jumped out of Pokota's arms and hopped his way across the room. He leapt straight into the bosom Pokota had been trying not to look at.

"Pokota!" Amelia screeched blushing bright red as Kopo buried his face in her chest. She was frozen in shock and horror.

Pokota shook his head while letting out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry Amelia." Pokota apologized as he emerged from the shadows.

Immediately Amelia forgot about the creature latched to her chest and got into a battle ready stance with a fireball spell in the works. "Who are you? And how did you get in here?"

Pokota took off the hood and cloth cover his face and stared at her shamed eyes. "It's me Amelia. It's Pokota. I'm sorry about this."

Amelia just stood there staring at Pokota with her mouth hanging open. Her face was completely blank from the surprise and confusion. The fireball that had been building faltered and fizzled away leaving Amelia just standing with her hands in position but with no spell to fire. "Huh? Who? Wha? What's going on here?"

Pokota was going to explain but he wasn't given the chance. His body chose that moment to rebel and suddenly he came face to face with the floor as he crashed to the ground. His whole body convulsed in pain and nausea as he lost consciousness.

"Pokota!" Amelia yelled as she and Kopo rushed to Pokota's side.

Though Pokota was unconscious at that moment it was obvious that he was still in pain. His body rolled into a ball and his face was the perfect picture of agony.

...

Amelia kept pacing back and forth around the bed Pokota was resting in. She was a nervous wreck. Pokota pops up without any explanation and human to boot and then just drops to the ground like a fly.

Several healers and doctors came and went; not a single person knew what was wrong with the young prince of Tarforashia. Many spells and medicines had been tried but with no result. Pokota still lay unconscious in obvious pain.

'When did he become human again?' Amelia wondered as she paced. 'And why didn't Tarforashia announce it? Their crown price was no longer a doll. Why didn't they make a grand announcement and celebrate? And what's wrong with Pokota? Oh so many questions!' Amelia rubbed her head trying in vain to ward off the headache.

Kopo kept staring at Amelia from Pokota's bed. He watched her go back and forth, his glass doll eyes darting from side to the other. Kopo was aware that something was bothering the crown princess but the doll lacked the understanding to comprehend what was going on. He knew that something was wrong with Pokota, but there wasn't anything he knew he could do.

"What are you?" Amelia finally spoke looking at Kopo. "Pokota was a doll before, the same doll that you are now. So what are you? How did you come to be? Do you know what's happening to Pokota?"

Kopo cocked his head to one side staring at Amelia clearly not understanding her.

Amelia growled in frustration. "Either you can't talk, don't understand me or you're completely incapable of speech... Gah! I may as well be talking to a dog!" And back to pacing Amelia went.

...

_In Pokota's sleeping mind he dreamt about strange things. He dreamt that he was being split up and put back together over and over again. _

"_Please stop!" Pokota begged trying to free his arm of the shackles that kept him tied down. "Please let me go!"_

"_Well we can't have that..." That ominous voice spoke. _

_Pokota being strapped down to the table couldn't see the face the voice belonged to. He could only see the man's back and his red robes. "Why are you doing this to me?"_

"_I have to. I have find a way to fix what he did. He cursed me after all. And how can I achieve the greatness I'm supposed to have if I'm cursed? How can I help all those lives out there if I can't be complete? You are serving a greater purpose. Through you I will get my cure." The man cackled almost insanely as he got the incantations ready for the next experiment. _

"_But why me? Why do this to me?" Pokota begged pathetically. His voice was weak and so was his body and spirit. But he knew that he couldn't give up. If he did he knew that would be the end for him. He was most certainly perish. _

"_You are a koppi. You are not one of god's creatures. You soul and life are mine to do as I wish. I created you and I can destroy you!" The man turned around to reveal the face of Rezo the Red Priest. _

"_You created me...?" Pokota looked around to anything reflective in the room he could see. His vision settled on a metal canister. The reflection wasn't that of the prince of Tarforashia, but that of Koppi Rezo. _

"_Yes I did. As your god I can do what I wish. And now it's time to remove those eyes..." _

_..._

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Pokota woke from his dream screaming. "Oh god!" He desperately gasped for air.

"Pokota!" Amelia ran to Pokota and quickly wrapped her arms tightly around him. She felt the wild beating of his heart and the quick shallow breaths of his lungs. "Are you okay?" She pulled back to look at him. Her hands were still firmly grasping his arms.

"It was a nightmare... Just a nightmare... I'm okay." Pokota tried to calm his heart.

"You collapsed earlier! You were in extreme pain! I got all the doctors and healers in the kingdom to look at you and no one could help you or wake you! Don't tell me you're okay! Tell me what's going on!" Amelia pleaded desperately while searching his eyes hoping they would give her some clues as to what was wrong.

Pokota had to look away from Amelia's instance stare. The guilt he had been trying to suppress started to bubble up again. "Amelia... I did a terrible thing."

"What? What did you do?"

"You gotta believe me, I didn't mean for this to happen! I knew it was wrong but I had my kingdom's future to think about!" Pokota blubbered as tears started to form in his eyes.

"Pokota what's wrong? What did you do? You can't have done anything wrong, I know you. You're good, honest and care for the people around you. Whatever you think you did it can't be that bad." Amelia tried to reassure Pokota.

Unfortunately it had the opposite effect. Pokota dared to look into Amelia's blue eyes. He saw the trust and faith that they held. Trust and faith that she had in him. Whatever had been holding his tears at bay were destroyed by this. Pokota shook his head violently. "No Amelia! I am a horrible person! I don't deserve your kind words. Not after what I did."

Amelia frowned. She was sure of her judgement of Pokota and was getting worried by how upset he was getting. "Tell me then."

"When I was here last... when you left me alone in the library I saw the books you had put aside for Zelgadis. I read one of them and I got an idea... So I took the book." Pokota wiped the tears from his face hoping to regain his composure. "I shouldn't have, but I did. It was one of Rezo's books. A diary of his about his experiments concerning koppis..."

Amelia's eyes went wide. She looked at Kopo sleeping at the foot of the bed and then back at Pokota. "You made a koppi?"

"I know! Making koppis is banned. No one is to put themselves at the same level as a god. Life cannot be made and shaped by magic or science. But you have to understand what I've been going through! I thought I had everything Amelia, everything I wanted. My home, my people and my father all safe. I gave up my body for the good of my kingdom. I thought that was what I wanted. But once things settled I got so lonely..." The tears came spilling again as Pokota choked on his sobs. "I was a doll, not a living person! Who would love me like that? I would forever be doomed to be alone! And I am Tarforashia's only heir to the throne. If my dad were to die I would have to take his place. But as a doll I couldn't have children. And how long would I live that way? If I lived forever, I would be forever alone. If I died then Tarforashia would have no one to take the throne. So I had to do it. I had to make a koppi of myself!"

Amelia's grip around Pokota's arms tightened. "So you could steal the body? You actually wanted to condemn a life?"

"I entertained the thought. I even got two Hellmaster jars ready just in case. But I decided when I started making the koppi that I was doing it so _he _could carry on the bloodline for me. So that he could fall in love and have children. But things went horribly wrong... At first every time I tried to make a koppi it wouldn't form. I kept getting the process wrong. I was down to my last bit of supplies and I put it all towards that one last koppi. And it appeared to work. For the most part he looked like me. But when he woke up he had the intelligence of a domesticated pet." Pokota explained.

Again Amelia looked to Kopo. "So you decided it was okay to steal his body because he was stupid?"

"No!" Pokota shook his head. "I never wanted to steal his body! I wasn't even sure what I was going to do with him when he woke up. He seemed healthy and happy albeit his lack of intelligence. But while I was thinking he accidently activated the jars. We both got sucked in. And when we both got freed of the jars he took my doll body. I had no choice but to take the koppi body."

Amelia's frown further creased. "He does seem pretty happy as a doll... But that still doesn't make things okay. You were still playing god by making him in the first place."

"I know." Pokota gripped the sheets in his balled fists. "And I am paying the price. This body... This koppi body I made... is dying."

Amelia gasped in shock bringing one of her hands to Pokota's face. "No! You can't be!" Tears started to well in her eyes.

Perhaps if the situation weren't so grave Pokota might have gotten embarrassed by the close physical contact. But he was too affected by the graveness of his predicament that he failed to register the feel of Amelia's hand on his face. "Amelia this koppi body is degrading. I keep getting massive spasms of pain in random parts of my body. None of the healers or doctors have been able to help me. They can't stop the pain during those times. I know I'm dying and I don't know how to fix myself. Amelia please! I know I have no right to ask this but you were the only person I could think of. I'm desperate and I don't know how much time I have left. Please! Please help me!" Pokota begged; the tears fell harder and faster than before as his body racked from the sobs. "I don't want to die yet!"

Amelia was crying just as hard as she embraced him once more. She wanted to comfort him and tell him everything would be alright. That she'll get to the bottom of his and save him. But she didn't even know if that was possible.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Notes: I keep struggling with this fic... I know what I want to write but the words aren't coming out fluidly enough. I don' know... If there is errors or typos I'm sorry. Not feeling too much like proof reading right now. Woo-hoo Pokota is now a category option! _

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Five, Morals

By Relm

Amelia took quite few deep breathes before she went to leave her bedroom where Pokota was resting in. She knew there was a crowd of people waiting outside the door hoping to get word of the condition of the prince of Tarforashia. From the door Amelia could hear voice of the people as they all talked to each other. Amelia didn't want to face everyone; she knew that it was clear that she had been crying. Though she had wiped away the tears and splashed water on her face, her eyes were still puffy. She was afraid of what everyone would say, and what sort of rumours were already flying about. But she couldn't stay hidden away in a room all day. Not when Pokota was dying, not when he needed her help. So with another deep breath Amelia opened the door. When opened it everyone talking in the halls stopped what they were doing and stared at Amelia.

"Is Prince Posel okay?" One asked, and that started up the sea of questions. Too many people all talking at once making it impossible to distinguish what exactly was being asked.

"Please everyone be quiet!" Amelia commanded getting everyone to stop talking. "Prince Posel is awake and fine for the moment. But he needs his rest so will everyone please leave and go back to your duties? I need to talk with my father."

Begrudgingly everyone did as they were told leaving Amelia alone in the hall. The whole walk to the throne room Amelia felt the knots in her stomach tighten. She had no idea how her father was going to react to the situation. Prince Philonel knew as much as everyone else did in Sailune. That Prince Posel was no longer stuck with a doll body and that he was gravely ill. "Daddy?" Amelia called out to her father as she entered the throne room.

"Amelia!" Prince Philonel got up from his throne and rushed to his daughter. "What happened? Is Prince Posel okay? You've been crying!" Prince Phil pulled her youngest daughter into a bear hug.

Amelia whom had her emotions in check lost all control with her father hugged her. Her tears flowed freely once more as she held onto her father. "Daddy I need to talk to you."

"Of course sweetie. Everyone! I need a moment alone with my daughter." Phil motioned for everyone to leave the room. Once Phil and Amelia were alone Phil led his daughter to the steps by the throne and sat down with her. "Honey what happened? What's wrong with Prince Posel?"

"Daddy he's dying." Amelia started off as she retold everything to her father that Pokota had told her before.

Prince Philonel let out a heavy sigh while staring at the floor. He didn't like what he was going to have to say, but it had to be said. "Amelia we can't help him."

Amelia's eyes went wide with shock and horror. "WHAT? What do you mean we can't help him? Daddy it's unjust turn your back on a dying person that you can help! Why in the name of Cepheid would you say no?"

"Amelia I'm sorry but Prince Posel broke the law. No one is to play god. Making koppis is illegal."

"But Daddy! Yes it is wrong to play god under any circumstances but you can understand why Pokota did it. He was desperate! And it's not the law in Tarforashia!" Amelia protested.

"It is the law in Sailune. Amelia if the intensions were still the best Prince Posel still did something that was wrong. And even though it's not the law in Tarforashia if we help him it's like we're committing the same crime. By helping him we would be going back on our laws. And if we can't even abide by the rules and morals we set out for ourselves what does that say about us as champions of justice? We are the royal family of Sailune. If we can't even follow our own laws then how can we still keep the faith and trust of our people?"

Amelia balled her fist in anger and misery. "Daddy we can't let him die! It's not right! He wasted what little time he may have left to get here because he thought we could help him!"

"You know I want to help him as much as you do but I can't condone it. As hard it is for me to say this but as the crown prince of this kingdom I have to forbid it. We cannot directly help Prince Posel."

"Directly?" Amelia looked at his father hopefully.

"If Prince Posel wants to read the books of our vast libraries then who am I say no to that? We've let Prince Posel read our books before."

Amelia managed a small smile. "Thanks Daddy."

"I'm going to send message to the King of Tarforashia to let him know where his son is. But I think it would be wise to not advertise what is wrong with Prince Posel. The last thing we need is some hooligan thinking he can assassinate the prince of Tarforashia while he is ill."

"What do we tell our people? I've already been bombarded by questions."

"As little as possible. I do not want to lie but we can't tell everyone the whole story. What have you said so far?"

"I told them that Pokota was fine at the moment but resting. But we've already had many healers and doctors to see him to see if they could help him. So people will already know that there is something seriously wrong with him." Amelia said with a sigh.

"Then we'll just have to tell them we can't say anything at this time. Hopefully if they see Prince Posel walking around appearing to be fine then it will dispel the rumours of his grave illness. But I am going to have guards escorting the two of you at all times."

"Thanks Daddy. I'd better get back to Pokota to see if he's well enough to go to our castle library."

...

Halfway back to her room Amelia stopped and changed directions. Instead of going back to Pokota Amelia decided to head straight to the royal kitchen.

Pokota had told Amelia that eating lots of food seemed to help with the pain. So she ordered the kitchen staff to make a large feast of foods high in protein, carbohydrate, fate and fibre. Pokota hadn't been able to tell Amelia which kinds of foods helped the most, but it was a good chance that meat dishes would be most beneficial.

The kitchen staff was a bit perplexed by Amelia's request. But when they heard it was for Pokota they understood. Pokota had an appetite not all unlike Lina's. They just assumed the prince had used a lot of magic recently and needed sustenance to replenish his energy. Perhaps he had faced a terrible foe on his way to Sailune and that is why he was sick or injured. Or that was what the kitchen staff thought.

Amelia wasn't aware of these rumours flying around, but she knew people were talking and making assumptions. She had no intentions of encouraging or discouraging these rumours. She had no intentions of saying anything. Just like her father advised her, Amelia was going to say as little as possible.

With the food ordered Amelia went to head back to her room. As she turned a corner down the hall she found that her father already had guards posted at Pokota's door. But that didn't seem to deter the people from crowding around the door.

"Everyone back to your duties!" Amelia ordered her people with as much authority to her voice as she could manage. Which was somewhat hard given how tired and weary Amelia felt at that moment.

But it didn't matter; she was Princess Amelia after all so her orders were to be heeded no matter what. So everyone left the halls except for the guards.

"If people crowd around the door while Prince Posel is resting please have them leave. I do not want people disturbing Prince Posel while he sleeps." Amelia ordered the guards.

As good guards they nodded their heads and asked no questions. They trusted Princess Amelia's judgement after all.

Amelia opened her door quietly poking her head into the room. From the doorway she could see that Pokota wasn't awake. At first Amelia had that terrible feeling that Pokota was dead. Rushing to the Prince's side she was relieved to see that Pokota was just sleeping.

'I'd better not wake him; he actually seems to be sleeping peacefully.' Amelia mentally mused before going back into the hall and leaving Pokota to sleep.

"I will return shortly." Amelia told the guards as she closed the door. "Please do well in looking after Prince Posel."

"We will Princess." Both guards said in unison.

As Amelia speedily made her way to the library she was starting to feel the pains in her feet. Since she was a princess it was expected she dress like a princess. And wearing a big frilly princess dress demanded dainty pretty shoes with heels. Ordinarily Amelia's feet wouldn't be hurting quite so fast, but with all the racing around the castle she had done it was really taking a toll on her tender tootsies.

The royal Sailune library was massive with all kinds of books. To anyone that had never been there before the room was dizzying with all the shelves, books and levels. But Amelia had been in and out and around the library many times helping Zelgadis so she knew her way around the room well. She knew where each book was that pertained to chimera curses and Rezo. But finding all the books dealing with koppis solely was another story.

Since making koppis was illegal in Sailune and in most parts of the land Zelgadis himself didn't bother to go into research about them. Of course it being illegal wasn't really the reason why Zelgadis never pursued it as a method to cure himself. Even knowing about the Hellmaster Jars and just how many of them Rezo made in his lifetime Zelgadis didn't bother.

What would be the point of making a koppi of himself? Rezo made koppis of himself to experiment on. So if he could make his koppi's eye's work then he could use the same method to make his work too. But Zelgadis was never afraid of trying things on himself. So that wasn't the reason. In order to make a koppi of himself as a human he'd need to have human samples to make the koppi from. Which of course he didn't. Before Rezo turned Zelgadis into a chimera their little merry band was nomadic and rarely stayed in one place for too long. And he didn't even know about the Hellmaster Jars until recently anyway.

So for Amelia finding whatever books they had was hard. The easy thing to do would have been to ask the librarian for the books she needed. But in doing so that would tip off what was really wrong with Prince Posel. She wanted to believe that she could trust all her people equally but she knew she didn't have the luxury to this time. There was a person's life at stake and she didn't want to do anything that would jeopardize Pokota's life.

The librarian watched Amelia with interest but didn't offer his services right away. He was more keen on watching her to see what she was doing. "Princess can I help you with anything?"

Amelia looked up from the books like a deer caught in headlights. "Oh no I'm fine. I'm just getting some books to read."

"Those wouldn't be books for Prince Posel would they?" The librarian re-adjusted his glasses hoping to get a better look at the pile of books Amelia had already accumulated.

Amelia quickly covered the books. "Well it wouldn't matter if it was or wasn't. People come into libraries to read books not have their choice of books scrutinized right?" Amelia smiled. "I hope you have a nice day." She said as she left with the books she had gathered in hand. 'I hope these books help Pokota. I don't think I'll be able to get anymore until the librarian steps out.'


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Notes: I'm working overnight shift at work for this week so though I did manage to squeeze out this part of Pokota's Plight I don't have the time to proof read it. I hope it's free of laughable typing and grammar errors, but if there are some please take pity on me. My brain is operating on much less sleep then it should. I'm actually surprised I could even manage to write this. _

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Six, Right Isn't Always Right

By Relm

When Pokota woke the first thing he noticed was that the room was far too bright. At first he assumed he was sleeping near a window and someone forgot to close the curtains. That it was the sun's offending light assaulting his weary eyes. But as he wiped the sleep from his eyes he realized that it was just the lamp lights of the room. There was nothing bright enough to cause this recent discomfort.

'Well at least it's not too painful. What time is it?' Pokota tried to look at the window to see the daylight but the curtains were closed making it impossible to determine what time of the day it was.

Perhaps Pokota might have gotten up to check but there were two things to distract him nearby. Firstly on the large table that Amelia used as a desk was several large silver domes covering platters. There were a few empty plates with cutlery set at the table as if it was set for a lavish dinner party. The smells of the food hiding under those domes finally started to register in Pokota's brain making the extreme pains of hunger known.

The other thing that distracted Pokota was the person sitting in a nearby oversized chair. Amelia had several books all laid out in front of her. She even had a few books open in front of her and in her hand. Perhaps the material had been boring or she was just really tired but Amelia appeared to have fallen asleep while reading. Kopo was sleeping on one of the chair arms drooling on the fabric.

Usually when the subject of food verses girls comes into play food always won over everything. Especially when he was that hungry. But there was something about the way Amelia was sleeping that made her hard to ignore.

'She can't be comfortable like that.' Pokota rationalized completely forgetting about his hunger at that moment. 'I'm surprised she fell asleep sitting like that. If she was that tired then she should have gone to bed.' Of course Pokota then realized whose room he was in. 'That's right this is Amelia's bedroom. I was sleeping in her bed.' Pokota blushed thinking about how he indirectly shared Amelia's bed. 'She should have woken me. It's her room after all.'

A Pokota went to get up to go over to Amelia to wake her he got a strong sense of vertigo and he had to grip a nearby chair to refrain from falling over. It happened to be one of the chairs at the table where the food was. Pokota's hunger re-announced itself telling him he wouldn't be going anywhere till some of that food was in his belly.

Caught between what he should do what his body wanted to do he just stood there leaning against the chair trying to decide. "Amelia?" Pokota tried to call out but his voice was raspy and horse. Partially from crying so much before falling asleep and from general dehydration. Clearing his throat Pokota tried again. "Amelia?" But it still wasn't much better.

Thankfully Amelia was a light sleeper and she was stirred from the noise. "Huh? What time is it?" Amelia mumbled as she stretched knocking the books to the ground that were on her lap. "Whoops."

"I don't know what time it is, I just woke up a moment ago. Is this food for me?" Pokota asked politely as he could manage.

Amelia nodded. "I had the kitchen make you up some food. I hope it will help it's stuff that's rich in fat, carbs and protein. I figured that was probably the best option for what might help. If it's not that then it's fruits and vegetables that were helping before. But I had them prepare some of that too." Amelia tested out her limbs noting the kinks in her muscles. 'Ow...'

"If you were sleepy you should have woken me instead of sleeping in that chair." Pokota commented while he dived into the food before him.

"Proper rest may be crucial for helping you with your condition." Amelia insisted.

"Dying isn't a condition, it's a fact." Pokota said dryly.

Amelia frowned. "You're not going to die. Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Your say may not be worth much. So you should have kicked me out of your bed."

"I hadn't intended to fall asleep. I must have just been too tired and the books put me to sleep." Amelia picked up the books from the chair and on the floor around the chair and took them with her to the table.

Kopo woke himself displeased that he was suddenly alone at the chair. So the little living doll hopped off from the chair and joined Pokota and Amelia at the table. A nearby potato caught his interests and he happily munched on it.

Amelia opened one of the books to show Pokota what she had been reading. "I got these books from the library to see if I could find anything that could help."

"And have you found anything that could help me?" Pokota asked hopefully in between mouthfuls of food.

Amelia frowned. "No not I haven't finished with these books yet. And if there's nothing here then I'll just go back to library and get some more." Her voice was filled to the brim with conviction and determination. Had she not been so tired more likely Amelia would have gotten right into a passionate speech of truth and justice. Instead the Sailune Princess just went back to looking over the books she had.

"Amelia are you going to eat something?"

Amelia shook her head. "No I already ate, this food I had prepared for you to eat. I'm not hungry anyway."

There was spell of silence between the two of them (three if you counted Kopo) and Pokota ate he couldn't help but think over the situation in his head. "Amelia have you talked to your father yet?"

"Oh yes of course." Amelia failed to make eye contact with Pokota. She just kept her eyes glued to the books.

"What did he say?"

"He said we should keep your condition as secret as possible. He figures that someone may take advantage of the situation and assassinate you. He has two guards posted at the door that are going to follow us around." Amelia explained.

"Well that's good and all but what did he say?" Pokota questioned again. His question though seemed simple enough was filled with subtext.

Amelia knew exactly what he meant and chose to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Amelia don't beat around the bush. What did your father say about my condition? About my request for help? Making koppis is against the law in your country."

Amelia's face lowered in shame. "I've been forbidden to help you."

Pokota sighed. He had been expecting that much. Asking Amelia or anyone in Amelia's position for help wasn't he should have been doing in the first place. "Aiding a person who broke a law is almost like committing the crime itself. No matter how noble the ends may be it doesn't justify the means."

Amelia nodded. "My father is a good a just man. If he wasn't the crown prince of Sailune I know he would stop at nothing to help you or anyone in your type of a situation. He's not a bad man, he would never turn his back on a dying person if he could help them."

"But the law is the law. You don't need to explain it. If you father would drop his morals and break his kingdom's laws so easily then he wouldn't be the great ruler I know him to be. It's for reasons like this that I admire your father. He's better than any King in any kingdom I've seen. I was wrong to ask for your help."

"No!" Amelia shook her head violently. "Even though you did something you shouldn't have you were doing it for the good of your kingdom. And just because it's law in Sailune doesn't mean I have the right to enforce our laws on your situation. It isn't the law in Tarforashia."

"The only reason why it didn't become law in Tarforashia is because Tarforashia slept while the world passed judgement on this law. Had my kingdom not be sleeping during that time I know Tarforashia would have banned making koppis as well. Before the great slumber making koppis was greatly frowned upon. I have no doubts it would be law."

"Well you can make it law when you take over for your father as ruler of Tarforashia after we figure out how to fix you." Amelia said while going back to reading.

"Amelia if your father forbade you to help me... then why are you?"

"Though my father can't condone what you've done he does sympathise with your situation. So even though we can't directly help you, we can let you read our books because it's stuff you've done anyway in the past. Our libraries are something we offer for the public to use anyway." Amelia explained.

"Okay I understand that. I can even understand you getting the books for me to make things easier. But how is doing the reading and doing the research indirectly helping me? Seems to me I would classify this as helping directly not indirectly."

"If I want to read a couple books why can't I?" Amelia huffed defensively.

"Amelia don't make flimsy excuses and lie to yourself with them. Your father wants what's best for you and your people. And that means you aren't supposed to help me. I do appreciate it, but I don't want you to compromise who you are for me. You could get into a lot of trouble for this. And I don't want you to lose the faith of your people either." Pokota was very stern with his voice. Yes he was scared and didn't want to die. But like Amelia Pokota was a person of justice and morals. Deep down he always wanted what was best for everyone.

"But this isn't the case of stealing a loaf of bread or vandalizing a building. This is your life here hanging in the balance. Yes laws are important. But are they right if following them means I have to watch someone I know who is good and honourable die? Is it really right when it tells me have to turn my back on someone who needs help? Someone whom I may be able to help or save? Why should I follow a law that says I have to stand by and let your die?" Amelia cried out with tears forming and spilling down her cheeks. She had cried already so much that day that she didn't think she had any left to cry. "How is it right?" Her voice cracked as she crumbled in her seat.

"It is right when that person broke the law. You can pick out all the technicalities you can want but when you get down to the bare bones of it, I played god. And this is my punishment. I shouldn't have come here. I have no right to beg you to break your principles." He stopped eating, suddenly the food before him just didn't taste as good as it once had. "I should go."

"No!" Amelia grabbed his arm tightly. "You can't leave, I forbid it! If you left and something did happen and you died... I'd never forgive myself. So you're going to finish eating and we're both going to read together. I don't care what you say to me, I know in my heart the right thing to do is to help those in need. You need help and I need to help you. And you have to listen to me because you're in Sailune, I am the crown princess so what I say goes! If you disobey my orders I'll have you thrown in prison!" Amelia was serious in her threat though it did seem strange pared with her tear stained face. "You're stuck with me whether you want me or not! I never abandon my friends."

Pokota managed a weak smile. "You'll make a good queen one day Amelia. I know it."

Amelia smiled back at him. "Thanks and I know you'll make a good king."

"Well I guess that will depend on what you've managed to dig up from the library. So give me a book I'll read while I eat."


	7. Chapter 7

_Author's Notes: I was starting to get stuck in this fic again. I know what I want to the ending to be like but I'm struggling getting there. But then I had a conversation with Lina G and she gave me an idea of where to go next. In pursuing this new direction, I ended up taking a detour on the way. I'm quite pleased with it. I'm still going to go the route Lina G suggested but after I take a couple turns. _

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Seven, Blood

By Relm

It was sometime after Pokota finished eating that he and Amelia finished reading all the books. Though informative about many subjects the only information about koppis was about making them. There was nothing in the books detailing on how to deal with a 'faulty' one. So the only thing that Amelia and Pokota could use the books for would be to determine what Pokota had done differently with his koppi process. But looking it over Pokota couldn't see what he had differently. To him the steps he took were the same outlined by the book.

"I swear this is exactly what I did!" Pokota exclaimed throwing the book down in front of him in disgust.

"Well there must be something." Amelia mused picking up the discarded book. "Because if you did exactly everything that they outlined in this book then you'd have a dozen Pokotas to deal with instead of one." Amelia looked over the book once more but didn't come to any new conclusions.

"This is frustrating." Pokota rubbed his temples trying to ease away the pain. Since waking up his head had been steadily hurting more and more. It was like the more frustrated he got the more it hurt.

"What kind of sample did you use to make your koppi?"

"Blood, just like the book says."

"Blood? But you had been in a dolls body for such a long time. Did you use blood from your body before the ghost of that piece of Shabranigdo in Rezo the Red Priest resurrected himself?"

"No, I used blood I had on one of my shirts. It was from a nosebleed I had just a day or two before Rezo put my body to sleep." Pokota explained.

Amelia's eyes went wide in shock. "Before? Pokota you used an old sample?"

"That can't be it can it? There's nothing in the book that says that it has to be a fresh sample." Pokota said frowning looking at the book again.

"There's nothing in the book that says that it doesn't either. Maybe the blood was degraded and that's why the other koppis didn't form properly. The base it was using to copy from was faulty to start off with."

Pokota let out a sad sigh. "If that's the case then what can I do? If this body was defective from the start and not just breaking down then how can I fix it? The best thing I can do is return it back to what was to start off with, a defective koppi."

"Well that could be the reason why the others failed and why Kopo isn't an exact mental copy of you." Amelia pointed out.

"If there's something else then what is it? What did I do wrong?"

The two of them sat there for a while thinking while Kopo just kept eating whatever Pokota didn't finish. It wasn't a large meal for a normal sized person, but for a creature as small as Kopo it seemed like a lot. Especially if the little doll didn't cast magic.

"Kopo you should slow down. If you eat too much too fast you're going to get sick." Pokota observed petting the doll on the head.

"That's it!" Amelia exclaimed.

"What?"

"That's why the koppi came out wrong! You used blood from just right before you were put to sleep. Rezo the Red Priest told you you were sick at that time?"

Pokota frowned in confusion. "But my body got treated for Drum disease."

"Yes well after your nosebleed. The blood you copied from was infected."

"I have Drum disease?" Pokota said to himself more than to Amelia.

"If you do and we cure you you could recover!" Amelia bubbled with excitement.

"But your doctors and healers must have tried to treat me for it when I arrived."

"No." Amelia shook her head. "You had it before so they assumed you couldn't get it again. So they would have had no reason to treat you for it."

"But surely my father had our healers try and treat me for it."

"Maybe they didn't!"

Pokota frowned. "Amelia I don't think that's it though... I don't feel sick."

"Yes that right you're perfectly fine you're just experiencing crippling pain right? Nothing serious at all." Amelia retorted sarcastically.

"Alright I know I'm not fine but I don't have the usual symptoms that go with drum disease." Pokota insisted.

"Everyone reacts differently to illness. Come on Pokota! Are you so committed to this idea of dying that you're not even willing to hope a little? This could cure you! I'm going to get the medicine right away." Amelia got up hastily out of her chair.

"I still want to read some more. Just in case." Pokota went to get up as well but almost fell over in doing so. He gripped the table ledge to steady himself while the room spun around him. His head was pounding and he felt like all the blood was rushing down his body and out of his brain.

"Pokota stay here, I'll come back with more books and medicine." Amelia ordered the Tarforashian prince before flying out of the room.

Pokota wanted to disagree with her but lacked the energy to do so. Instead he just sat himself down while holding his head.

...

Since she promised Pokota Amelia went to the library to get some more books. Her first impulse was to get the medicine first, give it to Pokota and then go look for more books. But Pokota was convinced that it wasn't Drum disease causing his health problems. And even though blaming it on a treatable illness was decidedly more attractive notion Amelia saw the point in Pokota's scepticism. Assuming all of Pokota's problems were because of one thing could be a dangerous thing. If you were right then no harm no fowl. But if you were wrong and you had abandoned looking for other answers then you'd be in trouble for sure.

The library was very quiet, as they usually were. But it was extra quiet, the librarian was gone. Which was very lucky for Amelia. The librarian was far too nosy for Amelia's liking.

It hard not to rush through the library. Amelia was anxious to get the medicine. Stopping and looking through books seemed tedious.

Since it was one of Rezo's books that caused this whole mess Amelia went straight for all of books written by, referring to or quoting the Red Priest. She threw all the books she found into a sack and went back and started back the shelves looking for any koppi books she missed her first time. She also looked for books on healing that looked like it could help.

Throwing the sac over her shoulder Amelia headed off to the doctors' lab. But as she took her first couple steps her feet screamed at her. Wearing heels and carrying around such a heavy load was something that they weren't happy with. They were 'digging in their heels' and protesting. 'Ouch...'

In an effort to be fast Amelia threw off her shoes and ran down the castle halls. The coolness of the stone floor was a pleasant welcome to her sore feet.

Amelia didn't worry about making too much noise getting into the doctors' lab. Since it was late enough the healers and the doctors had gone home for the evening. So there weren't many people to stop Amelia from getting what she was looking for.

When going into an apothecary's work station sometimes it could be dizzying with all the medicinal ingredients and potions littering about. What was that green thing? This pill is purple but so is that one, are they the same? Aceta-what does that say?

Thankfully Amelia was used to going through the doctors' labs. Since Sylphiel came to Sailune to help with the magical army Amelia had become introduced more aspects of healing besides magic. Sylphiel had beefed up her healing repertoire by learning some conventional healing. She had become an expert in medicinal herbs. And she was willing to teach everything she knew to whomever wanted to learn. And Amelia had been very eager.

During her time if Tarforashia Sylphiel showed Amelia just how to mix up a treatment for Drum disease. Since so many had been infected everyone had to be treated, even those that didn't show symptoms yet. And even after treating everyone Amelia wanted to make sure that she knew exactly how to deal with the disease. Since it was very contagious it was possible that in spending so much time in Tarforashia that she either could have become infected or became a carrier. Prince Philonel also so the potential dangers in helping the people of Tarforashia and had all the doctors and apothecaries make and stock pile treatments for Drum disease.

Right away Amelia spotted the vials of medicine used to treat Drum disease. Quickly grabbing them Amelia was going to put them in her pocket forgetting that she was wearing that pink dress and not her traveling outfit. Afraid that she would drop the vial while she carried all the books Amelia placed in her bra. 'Hopefully that doesn't fall out.'

All the way back to her room Amelia forgot that she wasn't wearing shoes. And as the guards guarding her room stared at her strangely Amelia didn't register why. "Is something wrong?"

"N-nothing." Both guards looked away.

Amelia just shrugged it off and went back into her bedroom.

Pokota had been sitting in the chair at the table holding his head the whole time Amelia had been away. He didn't want to move because he was too tired and getting up made him too dizzy. Oh and the pain was also worse. But to him Amelia wasn't gone long. If anything it had been a minute at most. So he was confused by her sudden reappearance. "You're back already?"

"I was trying to be fast." Amelia explained with a huff as she put the books down.

"Trying? What did you learn how to teleport or something? Because you couldn't have been gone for longer than a minute."

Amelia frowned. "No Pokota I was gone for at least a half hour. Are you loosing track of time? Are you blanking out?"

"I don't know... Seriously a half hour?" Pokota frowned. He didn't remember blanking out. But then do you ever remember blanking out? He looked back at Amelia more confused than ever. "Didn't you have shoes on when you left or did I forget that too?"

Amelia looked down and smiled sheepishly. "I took them off earlier. I forgot. Anyway I grabbed every book I could find that might help and I got the medicine."

When Amelia pulled the vial out of her bra Pokota couldn't help but blush and look away. "So do you really think that will help?"

"Won't know till we try right?" Amelia's smile was very hopeful and bright.

There probably wasn't a soul alive that could have looked Amelia that moment and not be uplifted by her optimism. However Pokota managed not to.


	8. Chapter 8

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Eight, Staring

By Relm

The whole time Amelia and Pokota sat and read Amelia would stare at Pokota. Sure she would still be reading the books in front of her, but her eyes would constantly dart back and forth between the page and the Tarforashian prince.

"Amelia would you please stop doing that!" Pokota protested putting his book down in frustration. "It's hard to read with you keep looking at me like that!"

"I can't help it." Amelia admitted. "That medicine may have been the answer for your problem so it's hard having you sit there and not know if it's working."

"I know." Pokota grumbled. "But I feel uncomfortable with being watched like a hawk."

"Are you feeling any better?"

"I don't know. I might be but then that might just be my brain tricking me into believing that I'm better when I'm not." Pokota admitted miserably. He really wanted to believe Amelia, that it was just drum disease and that everything would be okay. But even with all of Amelia's abundant optimism he didn't feel swayed from his depressive thoughts. "My head still hurts, but that could be because I've been doing so much reading."

"Have you found anything helpful so far?"

Pokota shook his head. "It's just more of the same. I know Rezo the Red Priest made koppis of himself to experiment on but it doesn't look like he ever encountered any problems in making a koppi. And why should he have, he was Rezo the Red Priest one of the greatest and most powerful mages since Lei Magnus and Nora Lockeheart. There's no way Rezo would have messed up making a koppi like I did."

"I wonder if Miss Eris ever had any problems..." Amelia wondered out loud.

"Who's Eris?"

"Oh, it was one of Rezo the Red Priest's followers. She was supposedly some big expert in chimeras and koppis." Amelia explained. "Mister Zelgadis was convinced that she was partly responsible for his chimera body."

"We should find and talk to her!" Pokota exclaimed excitedly while standing up from his chair. "Maybe she knows a way to fix this mess I'm in!"

"I'm sorry Pokota but we can't." Amelia said sadly. "She... got killed a while back by one of Rezo's koppis."

Pokota sat himself down sighing in defeat. "I guess I'm doomed then."

"Don't talk like that!" Amelia snapped at him. "We'll find a way to fix you Pokota!"

"How Amelia? How are we going to heal me?" He dared her.

Amelia looked at him with a panicked expression. "I don't know! But I'm not going to give up until we find a way!"

Pokota sighed again. "It's a shame there's not a way to talk to the dead."

"A highly skilled time mage could probably do such a thing, but I doubt it's something they are allowed to do. Rousing a dead soul to talk to seems a bit immoral." Amelia admitted.

"Word of mouth and of paper are the only way the dead can truly talk." Pokota motioned to the many journals of Rezo's they had littering the table.

"Rezo did write a lot of books." Amelia realized looking at all the books. "And I bet Miss Eris did too..."

Pokota looked up at Amelia with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Do you have any of Miss Eris' books?"

"No but she was using Rezo's lab in Siaraag before it got destroyed... Maybe she had a lab of her own near the city!" Amelia exclaimed her voice getting higher and higher pitched with each successive syllable. "We should go there!" Her smile was filled to brim with so much optimism that it spilled out down the sides.

This time Pokota felt that optimism permeate into his own state of mind. "Do you really think we could find something that could help me?"

"We won't know unless we try!" She grabbed his hands in hers staring at him with stars in her eyes.

"Then let's go to Siaraag in the morning."

"Morning? You don't want to go now?" Confusion filled Amelia's blue eyes as she let go of his hands.

"I'm too tired..." Pokota admitted. It was as if someone had just took all the energy out of his body and left him a feeble mess. Perhaps it was all the sudden excitement but he was too exhausted to stand let alone go on a long journey. "I think I'll go to bed." Pokota announced trying to make his way over to the small couch in the room while almost falling straight down.

"Oh no, you're not sleeping there." Amelia grabbed him to steady him. "You're going back to the bed."

"But Amelia it's your bed." Pokota whined. "I shouldn't be taking your bed from you again."

"Nonsense Pokota! You're not well and I can't in good conscience have you sleep on a small couch when you should be resting in a proper bed." Amelia insisted helping him back into her bed.

"Then put me in another room so you can have your bed to yourself." Pokota suggested weakly.

"It wouldn't matter because I would still want to be in the room to watch over you when you sleep. I want to be there just in case you need me. So it's better off if we just stay in my room as its larger than any room we would give to a guest." Amelia rationalized. "I'm fine on the couch."

"How about..." Pokota started to suggest something but had to stop as he was blushing too hard.

"How about what?" Amelia prompted him.

"We could... share the bed." Pokota suggested almost inaudibly.

At first Amelia blinked in confusion. She had heard Pokota's very faint suggestion but hadn't quite comprehended it right away. But when she did she blushed deeper than Pokota. "Po-Pokota!"

"Well it is a large bed." He mumbled in embarrassment.

It was true, bed was quite large. It was king size so it would easily accommodate two people comfortably.

"But, well um we..." Amelia stumbled over her words. She had shared a bed with a guy a few times, but it was usually only when she was traveling with Lina and the group. And in that case it was the whole group sharing the bed. They only did that when they either couldn't get more than one room or they all had to share the room. And usually most of them would end up half sleeping on the floor anyway. But this was different. This was Pokota and her alone. In her room, in her bed and he was human. "If someone caught us..."

"They might think something was going on between us." Pokota realized with a renewed blush. "You wouldn't want your people to think that would you?"

"Of course not!" Amelia answered far too quickly.

Pokota couldn't help but be a bit stunned by those words. 'Would it be so bad if there was something between us?' He wondered sadly.

Right away Amelia picked up on Pokota's sudden mood change. "That's not what I meant! I wouldn't want them to think I was doing something so... 'intimate' with someone I wasn't married to regardless of who it was! I wasn't meaning that there's anything wrong with you." Amelia tried to explain. "I like you a lot... I mean a friend! I like you as a friend." She laughed nervously while hoping the light in the room wasn't showing off just how badly she was blushing. 'How embarrassing!'

Pokota just stared at her with a frown. He wasn't quite sure what to make of her expression or manner of speaking. It didn't really matter though, he was too tired to argue with her or stay awake. "Okay sleep on the couch then. But if you are too uncomfortable and want to switch then let me know."

"I will. Goodnight Pokota."

"Goodnight Amelia."

Thought Pokota didn't want to he fell asleep almost right away. As soon as his eyes closed he was whisked off to dreamland. Amelia on the other hand had no such luck. She didn't regret her decision to let Pokota sleep in her bed, but the couch wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world. True she had fallen asleep in the matching chair earlier but that had been due to exhaustion not choice.

Looking over to the sleeping Pokota, Amelia had no intention of waking him up to ask if he would switch. The Tarforashian prince was sleeping soundly. That in itself was a miracle given recent events.

Amelia stared at him off and on while she tried to sleep. His suggestion played over and over in her mind preventing any chances of sleep. Sharing a bed with Pokota? It made Amelia blush thinking about it. Never before had she thought about Pokota in _that_ way before. It wasn't that there had been anything terribly wrong with him save for his doll body. It was just until recently one man occupied all of her thoughts.

Zelgadis.

The stoic, regal, mysterious chimera. Oh how Amelia used to daydream about him. She'd dream that she find his cure and he'd be so overtaken by his emotions that he would sweep her up in his arms and never let her go. He'd ask her to marry him and the two would live happily ever after. She was so sure that the only reason why Zelgadis chose to distance himself from people was because of his curse. That he was so hideous that no one would ever want to love him. In her heart Amelia had believed that if Zelgadis saw true love or was cured he would change. She had believed that was his reason behind finding his cure. He wanted to be loved.

But that was how it was before. Amelia was a wiser person now then she was when she first met him. Zelgadis enjoyed being labelled a 'heartless swordsman' and it didn't seem like his appearance bothered him quite as much anymore. And finding out that Zelgadis only started on this quest to change himself back was to spite Rezo and not for desire for love and companionship. And then there was that fact that she asked him to come back to Sailune with her. He had given her a maybe answer but didn't. No Zelgadis the lone wolf that he was took off into the sunset taking to the seas to find more leads.

In the past if Zelgadis had done such a thing to Amelia she would be have been very upset with him. He hadn't given her an explanation; he just took off without telling anyone. It was very selfish and self centered of him, but it was a typical Zelgadis thing to do. He was nomadic loner after all. This parting had been no different from any of the others the group had.

The difference had been with Amelia. She knew it should have bothered her, but it didn't. It was little sad but deep down she realized something that had been staring her in the face for a while. Zelgadis wasn't going to magically fall in love with anyone if he was cured. Or get settled down, married with kids. More likely Zelgadis was going to back a nomadic lifestyle. Maybe not to follow in his great-grandfather's footsteps of a healing pilgrimage but probably something similar. He wasn't going to want to be a king of a country or at least Amelia didn't think so. It was a heavy responsibility to throw on anyone's shoulders. And it would especially hard for someone who hides from the limelight.

The only way Amelia could see things working the story book way things played out in her daydreams would be if Zelgadis changed. But that wasn't right was it? Should a person have to change their whole personality just to make things work with another? Was that really love then?

And that was the other problem. Amelia had to come face to face with her own feelings. Did she really love Zelgadis? If you asked her after they had all defeated Dark Star Amelia would have surely said yes. She had given him her bracelet for crying out loud, a token of her 'love' for him. But those blind affections had been in vain, they didn't change how Zelgadis acted towards her. The next time he saw her he didn't shower her with adoration. She had built up their next meeting over and over in her head into being this magical and emotional reunion. But it had fallen flat. It was business as usual with Zelgadis trying to find his cure. It stung Amelia for sure but she recovered. And the recovery was so quick that it surprised herself. If you were madly in love with someone who didn't return your feelings shouldn't it hurt more?

That's when Amelia had come to that realization. Maybe she didn't actually love Zelgadis. Maybe she had just been in love with the idea of being in love with Zelgadis. That the Zelgadis she loved in her head wasn't quite the same as the one that stood before her.

She didn't discount the chance that there couldn't be anything between her and Zelgadis in the future, but she wasn't daydreaming about it anymore. If it was going to happen it would happen.

Now with Pokota... this was a strange situation. She had never thought about him romantically before. And since he mentioned it she couldn't stop thinking about it. Did he have feelings for her? Did she have feelings for him? Could there be a possible future between the two of them?

Amelia didn't want to be thinking these things. She wanted to sleep. But having the object of your confusion sleeping so close by didn't help matters. So she lay there staring at the man who put those demanding thoughts in her head.

_(Author's Notes: As you can tell I'm not a Zelgadis/Amelia fan. Never have never will be. It's such a strange pairing that from my understanding come to be from fans submitting fanart of the two of them to the creators of Slayers. Otherwise there probably wouldn't be any Z/A at all. And I can see why fans want to pair the two of them up, Amelia is bright and full of sunshine and Zelgadis is dark and depressive. People want Zelgadis to be happy, and why not with the most happiest character from Slayers? I like Lina/Zelgadis, but unlike some l/z fans I'm not an Amelia hater. I really like Amelia; she's a very fun character. And even though I don't write too many coupling fics around her I probably use her in more of my Slayers fanfics then any of the other characters. I don't like her with Zel. Zelgadis is my favourite character but to me throwing her with him isn't fair to her. Unless Zelgadis really was to do a 180 degree personality change when he gets cured I can't see him settling down to be a devoted husband. But hey that's my opinion._

_Obviously this is going to be a Pokota/Amelia fic, so I had to at some point get around to why Zelgadis and Amelia aren't together. They pushed hard for a/z in TRY (well at least Amelia's affections towards Zelgadis in TRY) but totally cut it down to nothing in Revolution and Evolution R. Yes when one was present in a scene the other was most likely too but that was it. So I wanted to elaborate on that a little in this part. Perhaps my thought processes in this fic will annoy some hard core Amelia/Zelgadis fans, and if so I'm sorry. But if you are a diehard a/z fan and you've read this far into the fic already then I'm surprised and honoured.) _


	9. Chapter 9

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Nine, The Heart Always Wins

By Relm

When a person has a nightmare it wasn't uncommon to wake up in a cold sweat with a scream dying on your lips. Your heart may be racing from that nameless or faceless evil you dreamt about but as soon as you wake whatever physical horror you had been experiencing would magically disappear. You might even be lucky and forget about what it was that frightened you.

For Pokota the physical torture didn't end when he woke. His heart was beating and his body was dripping with cold sweat but almost every fibre of his being was on fire when he woke. It was such a strange sensation to be cold and shivering from beads of sweat and gripped with hot burning pain. The pain was so intense that Pokota felt like his lungs weren't working. He had to struggle for each breath.

Amelia lay sleeping on the couch so soundlessly. The light peaking from the window curtains bathed her in pure light making her look majestic, like a sleeping angel.

Pokota's eyes watered as he looked at Amelia. His breathing was tortured with his mouth flapping open and close as he tried to call out to her. No voice came out of his lips, no words of pleading for help that he desperately tried to say. He reached out to her in vain his hand outstretched. But as much as he silently pleaded to her she didn't wake.

Like the times before the pain eventually passed and Pokota was able to breathe again. His heart stopped racing and he was finally able to relax.

There wasn't a doubt in Pokota's mind now. It hadn't been drum disease. He was still dying.

When that realization set in Pokota felt his heart sank. He kept telling himself repeatedly after Amelia gave him the medicine not to get his hopes up. That it was very unlikely that this was drum disease causing his pain. And he thought he had squashed that hope enough so that it wouldn't grow. But apparently a little weedling of hope had sprouted and now it was dead and Pokota was mourning the loss.

As he looked at Amelia he remembered the conversations he had with her. He also remembered what Prince Philonel had decided on Pokota's fate. Amelia wasn't to aid him directly. Getting him a few books here and there was as far as the rules should be bent. Aiding Pokota on a trip to Siaraag to fix his condition wouldn't be right. Pokota committed an act that was considered against the law In Sailune. For Amelia to knowingly help him would be wrong. If Amelia was to help Pokota and her people found it would be disastrous. Sailune would lose faith in their reigning monarchs and the laws they impose. It could mean chaos and anarchy. No Pokota couldn't have something terrible happen to Amelia because of his mistakes.

Being as quick and quiet as he could Pokota collected his things and left Sailune.

...

Amelia was having a wonderful dream. She was in a large hall with music playing. Many people were dancing having a grand time. Amelia herself was laughing as she was twirled around the dance floor her elegant sapphire blue gown flowing. Her dance partner smiled at her as he brought her back close to him as they danced. She could see his smile but when she tried to look up at his eyes she couldn't see his face. The bright light of sun pouring from the windows blinded her making her only able to see his bright smile.

"Too bright." Amelia mumbled as she tried feebly to shield her eyes from the sunlight. She opened her tried eyes confused to find herself in her room and not in a grand hall. And on a couch too. "Why am I not in my bed?" Amelia looked over to her bed. It clearly had been slept in but there was no one in it at that moment. "Did I sleepwalk?"

It took Amelia's sleepy mind time to wake up enough to processes what was going on but once she saw Kopo sleeping on the chair she remembered everything. "Pokota! Pokota where are you?"

...

"Daddy we have to find him!" Amelia pleaded to her father in the throne room. Once she found out that Pokota wasn't in her room she went into a panic and started to search the whole castle. But it appeared that Pokota had left and took all his stuff with him. "What if he collapsed and is hurt somewhere?"

"Amelia honey if Pokota is in Sailune then we'll find him." Prince Philonel tried to reassure his youngest daughter.

"But Daddy I don't think he's in Sailune. I think he went off to Siaraag!"

"Why would he have gone there for?"

"We were talking last night about Red the Red Priest and we got on the topic of Miss Eris. Since she was an expert on chimeras and koppis we figured that she might have some research of her own we could read up on. She was using Rezo's lab in Siaraag before she died so we figured that she might have a lab of her own near there." Amelia explained. "We were going to go in the morning because Pokota was so tired last night. I don't know why he would leave without me!"

"I can understand why. And that's exactly why if Pokota is in Sailune we'll find him. But if he's left Sailune then we're not going to go farther than that."

"What? Why would you do that Daddy?"

"Amelia I told you that we can't help Pokota. That allowing him to read some of our books was as far as we could go. I'm sure Pokota understood that which is why he left without you. Going with him would be going against my orders Amelia. You can't help him Amelia. We went over this. And I must say I'm shocked and appalled that you would make such plans without even talking to me first."

"But Daddy what if something happens to Pokota? How can you expect me to ignore him?"

"You have a duty to our people Amelia. How can you expect me to let you ignore them? You are a princess Amelia and not above the law."

Amelia frowned on the verge of tears. "But Pokota is alone! He didn't even take Kopo with him."

"Well then pray we find him in Sailune."

...

Pokota let out a heavy breath as he slumped down at the base of a large tree. He hadn't gotten far from Sailune and he was already regretted leaving. When he made up his mind to leave he had done so impulsively. He didn't think too far ahead. Like for instances what was he to do about food? He knew the more he ate the better condition he was in, but he didn't think to pack anything before he left. Not that he could have done so easily. More likely he would have been caught in the act if he tried to steal food from Sailune's royal kitchen. And then he would have some explaining to do.

Not having any food packed would have been fine if Pokota still had Kopo with him. But his little doll companion was sleeping when he left. And he knew that if Amelia woke and still found Kopo there then she might think he was still in Sailune. That way she wouldn't come after him.

In hindsight Pokota was greatly regretting that snap decision. He needed food if he was going to continue on and get to Siaraag. But he didn't have the strength to lift his head let alone get up and forage for food.

'Pokota you idiot you didn't think things through just like always. You're just too impulsive for your own good.' Pokota bitterly berated himself while hitting his head back against the tree. As he did so the tree rustled making a lot of noise. Pokota weakly looked up and noted it was an apple tree he was slumped up against.

Pokota weakly held his hand up and concentrated. _"AERO BOMB!" _A small explosion of air boomed in the branches of the tree. It started raining apples. Now for someone who was hungry having it rain apples was usually a good thing. But not when you were directly under the tree that rained down the apples.

"OWWW!" Pokota whined rubbing his head. "Stupid Pokota not thinking things again! Oh well at least I can eat something." Taking one of the apples that hit him he bit into it. "Bleh! Sour!" Pokota made a face but he still chewed and swallowed the apple. He needed to eat after all.

...

Amelia dressed in her travelling outfit stood on the highest point of Sailune castle trying to get sight of her Tarforashian friend. Even though Pokota has purple hair which is typically easy to spot it didn't help Amelia. She couldn't see Pokota anywhere.

Feeling defeated Amelia jumped off the roof of the tower and flew her way down to the ground. As soon as she touched down she headed off into the castle to see her father.

Sailune castle was busy with every soldier was mobilized looking for any sign of Pokota. But after hours of searching none of the soldiers had found anything.

Amelia had hoped that the moment she walked into the castle that she would be surrounded by soldiers greeting her with the good news. That Pokota had been found and he was okay. But alas Amelia got no such greeting. Letting out a huge sigh Amelia headed down the halls toward the throne room.

As expected Prince Philonel was in his throne room having discussions with various castle subjects. They were gathered around a large table looking over a map of Sailune. From the grim look on Phil's face it was clear things were not going good.

"Daddy?" Amelia called out to her father.

"One moment sweetie." Phil turned back to his subjects. "Double check those areas like I said and report back to me if you find anything."

"Yes sir!" All the subjects disbanded leaving Phil alone in the room with his daughter.

"They haven't found him yet have they?" Amelia mumbled sitting herself down in a chair.

"No they haven't." Phil sat down next to his daughter and patted her on the head. "I wish I had better news for you Amelia, but it seems the men have already done a full sweep of Sailune. They are double checking some areas but it looks like Pokota has left Sailune."

Amelia's face fell and she put her head on the table. "So he's really gone then?"

"I'm sorry."

"Can't we go look for him?" Amelia looked up at her father with pleading eyes.

Prince Philonel had to look away. Seeing the sadness in his youngest daughter's eyes was just too much. "You know the answer to that question Amelia."

"But Daddy! How is sitting around and doing nothing the right thing to do?"

"Sometimes the right thing to do isn't the easiest and pleasant thing. We can't pick and choose which laws we observe and follow. We have to hold ourselves to a higher standard." Phil reminded Amelia.

Amelia let out a sigh and let her face fall back to the table.

...

Later that day as the sun started setting Amelia stared out from her window in her room. There was still no sign of Pokota. It was very clear that the young prince wasn't in Sailune anymore. This fact saddened Amelia greatly.

Kopo himself wasn't doing too well. His 'master' Pokota had left him behind and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't cheer Amelia up. And just like Pokota, Kopo didn't like it when Amelia was sad. He hopped onto Amelia's shoulder and nuzzled her neck hoping to change Amelia's mood.

Unfortunately for Kopo it didn't.

"I bet you're just as worried as I am." Amelia petted Kopo on the head. "I just wish I knew where he was. I wish I could find Pokota."

Whether or not Kopo understood her something was clear, Kopo wanted to go somewhere and he had to go now. He jumped off Amelia's shoulder and ran across the room.

"Kopo where are you going?" Amelia ran to follow the little doll creature as he ran through the halls of Sailune castle.

Kopo ran all the way to Sailune kingdom limits.

"Kopo wait! Where are you going?" Amelia called out to Kopo whom didn't appear to be listening.

Once they got to the Sailune kingdom wall Kopo stopped and turned around to face Amelia.

"Kopo what are you doing?" Amelia huffed once she caught up to the stuffed animal doll.

Kopo picked something up for Amelia to see. It was a gem from a clasp of a cloak. This wasn't a special gem; it was a very common gem to be on a clasp. But what made this particular gem special was the insignia on the other side of the gem. It bore the royal family Tarforashia crest on it. This was gem belonged to Pokota's cloak.

"This is Pokota's! Kopo you know where he's gone don't you?" Amelia exclaimed while examining the gem.

Kopo looked over the wall at the forest surrounding Sailune.

"He left... And he's out there over this wall..." Amelia looked to where Kopo was looking. "Kopo I can't go. I want to but my father has forbid it."

Kopo whined at her.

Amelia looked between the wall and the castle she called home. What should she do? She wanted to be a good girl who did the right thing but she couldn't turn her back on her friend. Especially when that friend was potentially dying. Her brain told her what she should do but her heart was saying something completely different. Her brain also said don't look at Kopo, but she did. And that's how her heart won the argument. Amelia couldn't look at the little doll creature and not feel moved. She was going after Pokota. "Let's go Kopo!" Amelia scoped up the little doll and jumped her way over the stone wall.


	10. Chapter 10

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Ten, At the River's edge

By Relm

Since getting the sour fruit from the apple tree Pokota had regained some strength to move forward. However he still didn't get too far. For the amount of distance Pokota made it should have really taken him an hour at most, but because of his condition it took him several. Instead of bursts of almost unbearable pain Pokota was now experiencing constant steady pain. In a way it was a welcome change from the sudden bursts, but it did leave Pokota feeling fatigued. It made his pace was slow and sluggish and it took him far too long to make short distances.

'I wonder if I'll still have those pain episodes on top of this...' He wondered as he collapsed by a river. He only meant to sit down at the riverside but instead he found himself laying on the group with most of his energy gone. It took a lot of effort but he wiggled himself over to the water.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about this river, it wasn't terribly large or small and the water was constantly moving. So there was no reason to think that the water wouldn't be safe or normal. But the moment Pokota brought the water to his lips he'd swear he was drinking sweet nectar. The water was so delicious that Pokota almost choked trying desperately to drink it fast enough. This might have been alarming as water shouldn't taste like that, but in cases of dehydration water can make water taste sweet.

Some of Pokota's pain in his body lessened but now Pokota was starting to feel sick from drinking so much. He flipped himself over so he was laying on his back staring up into the night sky.

The sky was clear for clouds but dotted with a billion twinkling stars. It was hard for Pokota to focus on any one spot in the sky as all the stars made his vision blur. Though blurry it didn't detract from the simple joy of star gazing.

'I forgot how beautiful the sky is. I've been so wrapped up in trying to fix my body I forgot about enjoying the simple pleasures of life. I may be dying with no chance of saving myself. Why should I spend what precious time I have left trying to do something I can't when I could be enjoying what time I have?' Pokota pondered let out a laboured sigh. 'There's so many things I wanted to do before I die. You never think about doing them right away because you think you have all the time in the world. But you never have forever, and it's all said and done you end up dying with regrets.' As Pokota looked up at the night sky it wasn't clear whether it was the beauty of the stars that made him tear up or the things in his life left undone.

...

Amelia and Kopo searched for what seemed like hours in the forests surrounding Sailune for Pokota. Perhaps Kopo had been lucky in finding Pokota's gem clasp because the two of them weren't having much luck finding the Tarforashian prince. The creeping night didn't help their search either, with it being much darker it was harder to see. The two of them were almost searching blindly through the woods save for Amelia's light spell.

"POKOTA!" Amelia yelled out. "WHERE ARE YOU?" Given that Pokota left Sailune because he didn't want Amelia to come with him it was very unlikely that he would respond to Amelia's calling. But given that Amelia and Kopo were having so much trouble finding Pokota Amelia was getting desperate. She had been yelling for Pokota for the better part of an hour. "Please be okay." Amelia pleaded under her breath. "POKOTA! IF YOU CAN HEAR ME PLEASE ANSWER ME!"

The only sounds that responded to Amelia's calls were the night breezes whispering through the trees.

Amelia let out a heavy sigh. "Pokota why won't you answer me?" This was getting quite distressing. It was bad enough knowing that a friend was in trouble, it was another not to be able to get to that person. Her throat hurt from all the yelling. She was going to take a sip of her canteen but discovered that it was empty; she had drunken it all already. "Better go refill."

Given that this area was still well near Sailune's limits Amelia was very familiar with the woods. So she knew of the river that wasn't too far from them. It was one that Amelia was taken to often by her big sister when they both were little. She motioned for Kopo to follow her and she led them to the river with intentions of getting water. But when they got to the river they were in for a surprise.

Laying in the grass by the riverside was Pokota asleep on his back. The Tarforashian prince's breathing seemed laboured and his brow glistened with sweat.

"Pokota!" Amelia rushed to his side. She put a gentle hand on his face but had to snatch it back once her fingers made contact with Pokota's skin. "You're burning up!" Amelia exclaimed feeling his face once more. "Don't worry I'll look after you." She promised him while soaking a cloth in water and placing on his forehead.

...

In the wee hours of the morning Pokota woke confused and disoriented. He was outside with the sun shining. He could hear the water rushing from the nearby river and the birds in the tree. 'Where am I?' He mentally wondered as he tried to sit up. Right away Pokota felt a pair of hands push him back down while calmly shushing him.

"Don't get up just yet." The voice that belonged to the guiding hands spoke calmly and softly to him.

Pokota tried to look at the source of the calming voice but his sleepy eyes had trouble focusing. He could see she was wearing all beige and she was hovering over a fire. A fire that had river fish being grilled by it. The smell from it was a heavenly mix of fish and smokiness. It made Pokota's mouth water. He had to wonder who this angel was that was looking after him. But the fog in his brain started to lift and he made sense of things. Yes she was angel, but not the kind with wings and halo living in the heavens above. This was an angel in the most human sense. "Amelia...?" He called out to her, his voice was very raspy.

"Drink this." Amelia offered Pokota a cup with a steaming liquid while titling his head upwards.

Pokota accepted the offering and almost spat it out once it touched his tongue. The liquid was extremely bitter.

"I'm sorry for the taste, but it will help with your fever." Amelia explained. "Miss Sylphiel taught me all kinds of herbal remedies for various ailments. Magic can be good for a lot of things, but in most cases medicine is best for illness."

"Amelia why are you here?" Pokota wondered out loud as he slowly sat himself up.

"Right now I'm cooking up some fish for you. I've also got some fruit to go with it." Amelia somewhat ignored Pokota's question as she continued fussing over the food. Kopo had managed to get a hold of one of the cooked fishes and was happily munching on it.

"Amelia that's not what I'm asking you. Why did you come after me?" Pokota asked rather sternly.

"Why did you leave?" Amelia shot back right away.

"I had to." Pokota mumbled.

"Why?"

"You know why I did. I woke up in pain, it's not drum disease, and I'm still dying." Pokota explained.

"So you thought leaving without me or Kopo was a good idea?" Amelia snapped at him. Yes she was worried about him but she couldn't contain her anger. She was very upset with him.

"Your father said you can't help me. Getting me books to read was fine, but going with me to Siaraag is definitely not something he would condone. So I had to leave on my own."

"You didn't even bring any supplies! You know you need food if you're going to make it to Siaraag. Leaving like you did was really stupid. Thank the gods we found you, you were burning up!"

"You should go back to Sailune. Your father is probably worried sick about you. I don't want you to get in trouble for helping me." Pokota insisted.

"I already told you that I don't turn my back on my friends, especially if they are dying! I'm not leaving you in your hour of need. Now eat your fish before it gets cold." Amelia shoved one of the cooked fishes at him.

"What are you going to do when you get back to Sailune and your father finds out what you did?"

"I'll think of something when the time comes. As mad as my dad will be I'm sure he won't hold ill will against me." Amelia tried to convince both Pokota and herself.

"He may throw you in the dungeon for a month." Pokota finished off the fish with one last bite. Like the water the previous night it tasted delicious.

"A month behind bars is a small price to pay for saving a life." Amelia handed him another fish to eat.

Pokota frowned. "It is a big price if it's in vain."

Amelia snapped to her head to glare at him. "Don't talk like that. We're going to find a way to fix your body." She insisted as she angrily tore into a fish eating it with gusto more reminiscent of Lina than of a princess.

"I still think this is a bad idea, but thank you. I'd probably be dead if it weren't for you." Pokota looked at her imploring eyes hoping to quell some of Amelia's anger.

Amelia's own eyes softened as she looked at the troubled prince. "Just promise me you won't do anything else stupid like running off alone? You're almost as impulsive as Miss Lina."

Pokota smiled at Amelia's weak attempt at humour. "I promise."

"Good. Now drink the rest of that drink. You're going to need it if you want to get rid of that fever completely." Amelia handed him back that fowl smelling tea she made him drink when he woke.

"Thank you doctor Amelia." Pokota sarcastically muttered as he choked down the beverage.

...

"Hey now look over there." A gruffy looking man said to his three companions as they travelled through the woods. "There's some people who made camp near that river."

"It's only two of them. I bet they don't have much to steal." One of the men scoffed.

"It's not two, there's a third person with them." Another one insisted.

"That's not a person that looks like a little animal doll thing. And it's moving!" The third one exclaimed. "It can't be living, it must be magic."

"It might be living. Isn't there a rumour about the Prince of Tarforashia being trapped in the body of a doll? And that girl looks an awful lot like Princess Amelia doesn't she?" The first one commented with a greedy smile.

"Then who's the guy with them?"

"Who cares? If we can capture Princess Amelia we can hold her for ransom. I'm sure Prince Philonel would pay a pretty penny for his little girl's life." The first one cackled darkly starting up a chorus of dark laughter between all four men.


	11. Chapter 11

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Eleven, Far Away from Home

By Relm

When you were really hungry sometimes you didn't realize it until you ate something. Then it would hit you full force the moment you put something into your mouth. Pokota experienced this first hand once Amelia handed him his first fish. He didn't think he was that hungry either. The fish smelled good but his stomach hurt. And he didn't have the energy to try and eat. He almost had to force himself to rip off a bite of the fish.

The fish was a delight to Pokota's taste buds. Had his stomach not protested to the speed from which he was eating he might have taken time to savour each bite. In the end his stomach always won and he ate with renewed vigour.

Amelia had to smile at Pokota despite his lack of table manners. It was good to see him with some energy. It was almost like he was his normal self (but as a human) and not sick. So she kept handing him things to eat glad she could help even in some minor way.

"It's sooo good!" Pokota mumbled as he devoured everything Amelia handed him.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. How is your fever?"

"I dunno." Pokota answered not even bothering to slow down.

Amelia rolled her eyes. It wasn't likely that Pokota would seriously answer her until he finished eating. 'Well at least there isn't much left... I hope he's not hungry after that.' She thought as she looked through what few things she brought with her. In hindsight Amelia should have packed some supplies before she left. But it was such a rash decision that Amelia didn't really think about the consequences. 'I chastised Pokota for not brining anything and here I am guilty of the same crime.' Amelia looked to the direction of where the castle was. Even in the dense forest Amelia make out the outline of Sailune. They weren't too far away so in theory Amelia could sneak back in get what they needed.

Even though it seemed like a good idea Amelia knew she couldn't go back. Not now at least. Sure her father was looking for her and he would want to know where she went and what she would need the supplies for. Amelia wasn't a liar by nature and it seemed very unlikely she could lie to her father of all people. And there's no way he would condone Amelia's intended trip with Pokota to Siaraag. So the only option Amelia had would be to sneak back into Sailune and sneak back out. But sneaking a large sack of food out of the palace was something not easily done.

'Pokota, Kopo and I are going to have to forage for food on the way. Siaraag is pretty far from Sailune so I guess we'll have to pick up supplies on one of the towns on the way.' Amelia let out a sigh. She knew that traveling in itself was going to be dangerous for Pokota given his current physical state. But things would get a lot worse for them if people knew that the prince of Tarforashia and princess of Sailune were traveling together with no bodyguards. That meant that the two of them were going to need to keep a low profile. So taking the less travelled routes and staying out of large towns was a must. This would make keeping a good supply of food and other needs a lot more challenging. 'This is going to be harder than I thought. It's a wonder Pokota and Kopo made their way to Sailune without help.'

Pokota nearing the end of his bevy of food slowed down to ponder Amelia's expression. The Sailune princess seemed far off thinking about something. And that something appeared to not be a pleasant one as she was frowning to boot. "What's wrong Amelia? Besides the obvious of course."

Amelia snapped her head back to meet the Tarforashian prince's stare. "Oh nothing... I'm just thinking about logistical stuff to do with our trip."

Pokota frowned. "Siaraag is a lot farther from Sailune than Tarforashia is. It's going to be a long trip."

"Tarforashia's people are descendants of old Siaraag right?"

"Yes that's right. Before Sailune, old Siaraag used to be the magic capital of the demon peninsula. Before all the tragedy that befell it that is. But Siaraag is so far from Tarforashia... I wonder why my ancestors chose to go so far to resettle." Pokota thought back to the holy tree sprout growing to absorb the evil of the Zanifar corpse not too far from where they were. The seed of that sprout came from was from Flagoon, the majestic tree that once was in Siaraag. Pokota had heard stories of this large holy tree. The holy tree of Tarforashia had once been a seedling from that very tree. To see Flagoon the original holy had been a dream of Pokota. But protecting his sleeping kingdom had come first. To find out that not only Siaraag had perished twice but Flagoon as well had been very saddening news to the Tarforashian prince.

"Tarforashia is beautiful. I'm sure they just wanted to find a place just as nice as their old home. But you're right Siaraag is so far away... And I didn't think to pack more things. We're going to need to keep you well fed but that will be hard if we have to avoid major paths and large cities." Amelia mused. "We can't let people know we're traveling together without bodyguards. Especially given your condition."

Pokota frowned. "I can still cast magic you know. And I know you're pretty good at white and shaman magic. So we aren't exactly helpless."

"Pokota given you need all the energy you can muster I doubt you should be trying to cast any spells." Amelia chided. "But yes I guess we could hold our own in a battle. However it would be better if we had someone else to rely on. Like Miss Lina or Mister Gourry."

"Have you heard from either of them recently?"

Amelia shook her head. "The last I heard of them was that they went off searching for a new sword for Mister Gourry. They had a lead that there was a legendary sword near Dragon's Peak in the Dils Kingdom but that was months ago. And given that I haven't heard any rumours of bandit killers or magical rampages from flat chested girls I'm sure if they are anywhere it isn't near Sailune."

"What about... Zelgadis?" Pokota almost stumbled on the chimera's name. He really didn't have a problem with the cold cursed man before but recently he found himself having a different opinion. But then again his opinion of Amelia seemed to be shifting as well so perhaps that was the reason why Pokota found himself indifferent to the chimera. You might even say Pokota was feeling a bit jealous?

"Mister Zelgadis? I haven't heard from him since Tarforashia. I had asked him to come back with me to Sailune but he didn't. In fact he didn't really even say goodbye either. He just took off. So I have no clue as to where he is now."

"And I don't suppose that Xellos guy would be much help if he was around?"

Amelia shook her head. "No, Mister Xellos is a monster after all. I doubt interfering or aiding with our journey would be something he would do unless it benefited the monster race in some way."

"Well maybe we'll find someone we can trust on the way to Siaraag."

Amelia frowned at Pokota. Though Pokota wasn't usually an extremely depressing person he hadn't been too positive as of late. For him to be optimistic was both refreshing and odd. "That would be nice." She commented suspiciously. Thinking back to Pokota's fever Amelia had to wonder if it was getting worse. Perhaps the fever was making him delirious? She had to check.

Pokota had to been contemplating the prospects of hiring a bodyguard on the way when Amelia put her hand on his forehead. The action was tender and unexpected that Pokota couldn't help but blush. "Ah... Amelia...?"

Amelia's frown deepened. "Well it seems your fever has gone down but you're still very red in the face."

"Oh. I'm feeling better." Pokota's voice was soft as he shrunk under Amelia's scrutinizing stare with his face still bright red. Inwardly he kicked himself for reacting so easily to Amelia's touch.

"Really? So you're not in pain at all?" This got Amelia's hopes up. Maybe it had been drum disease all along and the medicine was just taking longer to cure him.

Pokota sighed. "I'm still in pain. I hurt all over... I feel like an achy old man." He admitted.

"Well perhaps we should get a move on. Kopo looks like he's falling asleep anyway." Amelia commented while getting up and scooping up the stuffed doll in the process.

Kopo stirred in Amelia's arms not knowing why he was suddenly off the ground. But once he saw who was holding him Kopo was very content to drift back off to sleep.

"Yeah let's go." Pokota groaned as he got up. His legs gave way and he almost fell over.

"Steady Pokota!" Amelia grabbed his arm so he could lean on her. "Start off slowly." She cautioned him.

Pokota hadn't realized his legs had been asleep till he tried to stand. And now they were starting to wake up which wasn't a pleasant feeling. "Ahhh!" Pokota grunted as he tried to get endure the pins and needle sensations running up and down his legs. But eventually the sensation dulled and Pokota was able to walk.

...

On the other side of the river the four bandits watched the threesome leave their camp.

"Looks like that guy with them isn't doing too well." Duin one of the bandits commented with a laugh. "Should make for easy picking then."

"We'll definitely get them for sure." Yanic, another one of them cackled.

"Don't forget that princess brat knows magic." Gantz the bandit leader cautioned his crew. "And if that doll is the prince of Tarforashia then we need to be careful of him too. He's supposed to be almost as powerful as that flat chest brat Inverse."

"Then what do we do boss?" Hale the last bandit questioned his boss.

The boss smiled. "This should take care of things." Gantz held up a strange tarot looking card of a shushing grim reaper for his underlings to see.

"Is that a silence card?"

The boss nodded. "We'll use this one time use card on the doll then all we need to do is surprise the princess." A silence card was a special magical item that gave the user the ability to silence a target's spells for a certain amount of time. In most cases they were one time use items that disappeared once used. And since this particular card wasn't a powerful one it wasn't likely to last too long.

"I think we should go after that guy with them. She might surrender if she thinks we'll do something bad to him." Hale suggested.

"Excellent idea." Gantz agreed. "I highly doubt he'll give much of a fight. Why he barely looks like he can stand."

"Between the four of us this should be a piece of cake." Duin grinned rather evilly.

"It makes you wonder why the two of them are traveling without anybody protecting them." Yanic observed.

"Who cares? Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth." Gantz motioned for his underlings to get on the move. They didn't want to lose sight of their prey after all.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Notes: It seems there are some things I must address before I get into the chapter (those who have no problems with the fanfic please scroll down past the notes and go straight to the fic as it's going to be a loooooong note). First off I read all my reviews. For all my stories and I take them seriously. Often I'm overjoyed with them and they push me to continue writing a fic even if the story is giving me trouble. As such I would prefer if a reviewer is to make specific comments/criticisms that they do so with a signed review so I might address it personally rather than do so publicly. I realize not everyone has an account here and I don't want to discourage people from reviewing just because they don't have an account so I will not change the review settings at this time. I could easily brush off any comments I could find negatively as just 'that person's opinion' but more likely others feel the same way they just haven't taken the time to review it. _

_So as such I will start off by stating once more that Amelia/Pokota isn't a pair I actively support. I'm writing this as an exercise and I've been having lots of problems with it. And I obviously made some bad choices at the beginning of the fic and as such my motivations/choices might seem murky for my readers. _

_The problem concerning ages of Pokota and Amelia... I have done some research to subject of Pokota's age in the past. The best I've manage to find out is typically one of two statements:  
__1) Pokota was an adolescent when he was put into the doll and he spent 10 years watching over Tarforashia before he met Lina.  
__2) Pokota was an adolescent when he was put into the doll and spent a few years watching Tarforashia before he met Lina. _

_So of course I had to see the definition of adolescent is. What I got was a young person who is not yet an adult, a person who has gone through puberty but not mature enough to be an adult or a teen. And given what Pokota's human form looks like I'd peg him to be between 13-14 which is what I pegged Amelia to be at the beginning of the Slayers series. So that would make Pokota's age 13-14 physically and 18-24 mentally. _

_Now if you're one of those people that figure each season of Slayers represents a year in the Slayers timeline then you would be bothered by Amelia/Pokota. However I find it hard to believe that Amelia's 17-18 years old in Slayers Revolution/Evolution R. Especially in NEXT and TRY they make comments of how much Amelia has 'grown/developed'. It leads me to believe that maybe months have passed since seasons. So I'd be inclined to believe that maybe a year has gone by since the first Slayers season. Making Amelia at oldest 15. Now is having a 1-2 year gap in age so horrible? Now if there is actual proof that Pokota is supposed be a kid and not even a teenager before he got transferred to a doll then I'll freely admit my being wrong. I'm not going to be arrogant and assume I'm right all the time. I'm human and capable of being wrong and making mistakes. In hindsight I should have probably stated that Pokota's koppi looked older so as to avoid these problems for my readers. Or stated what my take of their ages are in the story. I'm sorry for that. _

_As for Phil and the laws concerning Koppis... The main reason why I posed this law is because I wanted to create conflict for Amelia. I didn't want her to be this one dimensional character who's sole motivation to help is because it would be 'an injustice not to' sort of a thing. Amelia is a co-star in this fic and I wanted her to focus on her feelings and thoughts. Perhaps my decision of making Phil so rigid was a bad one as he's overlooked some of Lina's blunders but as far as I know Lina hasn't committed mass genocide. That is what I intended with mentioning Siaraag. It wasn't that Koppi Rezo just destroyed the city; it was because he killed everyone in it at the same time. Again my intensions were probably not clear and I apologize for that. But I'm not going to go and re-write the whole beginning of this fic. As such Phil's role in the fic is done from this point on. I have no plans to have Amelia and Pokota return to Sailune. So if it bothers you just ignore it please. And if you can't and you absolutely hate this fic then I'm sorry. There are many lovely fics out there that are probably miles better than mine. This fic has been a train wreck for me from the get go but as long as there are still people wanting to read it I'll continue on. I'll take my mistakes and file them in my head and hope that I don't make them again in future chapters and fanfics._

_Sorry for the rant and I hope that I didn't offend anyone. I just needed to explain myself. Now onto the fic..._

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twelve, Silenced

By Relm

The pace from which Amelia, Pokota and Kopo took on their way to Siaraag was a slow one but at least they were progressing forward without too much trouble. Sure they couldn't as fast as they wanted and they had to stop many times but at least they were being consistent.

"So Miss Sylphiel went back to her hometown?" Pokota questioned Amelia as they walked. Sylphiel and Pokota hadn't had much time to talk and get to know each other but Pokota's impression of Sylphiel being a kind and helpful person was dead on. He actually admired the shrine maiden and was very grateful for everything she did.

"We tried to get her to stay in Sailune but being Tarforashia brought up old memories for her. After we came back Miss Sylphiel decided she wanted to go back home." Amelia explained.

"But Siaraag is nothing but ruins right? Why would she want to go back there?" Pokota scrunched his face into a frown.

"When Koppi Rezo destroyed Siaraag Miss Sylphiel stayed with the few survivors and tried to rebuild the city. After Hellmaster Phibrizzo destroyed Siaraag the second time I had figured that Miss Sylphiel had given up any hope of trying to rebuild. But being in Tarforashia and with the people who were also descendants of old Siaraag relit that desire to rebuild."

"So what she went off to rebuild a whole town by herself?" Pokota exclaimed.

Amelia shook her head. "No Miss Sylphiel was greatly adored by lots of my people. So when they heard what her plans were they decided to go with her. My father even sent of our people to go with them to aid in starting the rebuild. I doubt they have it completely rebuilt the city but there should be at least a few buildings up."

Pokota frowned. "Siaraag is the birthplace of my kingdom. My people should be helping too. Especially after we've had so many people help us."

"Pokota! Your kingdom is still getting over tragedy! I'm sure there will be a time and place where your kingdom can reciprocate any help given. For now your kingdom needs to focusing on getting your footing back."

Though Amelia's words were kind and encouraging it still didn't sit well with him.

Kopo looked back and forth between his two human companions as he hopped ahead. That was something Kopo had started to do recently, hopping. He wouldn't run or walk he'd hop around. Sure he did have long ears but he wasn't a bunny. However the question of what animal the doll was model off of was debatable. Perhaps Kopo thought himself a bunny. Whatever the reason the living doll enjoyed this method of travel. Especially in the fashion he was doing, which was hopping backwards while facing his humans. As such Kopo wasn't looking where he was going and didn't see the card flying in the air. It planted itself firmly to Kopo's head which alarmed the little doll and he flailed around trying to get it off.

"Kopo what's wrong with you?" Pokota tried to stop the doll from moving around to see what's bothering him. "Is that a card?" Pokota looked at the back of Kopo's head closely.

"What is it Pokota?"

"It looks like a silence card." Pokota commented while frowning. He tried to remove the card from the doll's head but it was firmly planted and not moving. "Yeah it's a silence card." Pokota confirmed while standing up. "It looks like it's active and it's not going to come off till it wears off."

"Where in the world did that come from?"

Pokota shrugged. "It's a cheap weak one. Probably someone dropped it and it got picked up by the wind."

"So the wind just blew it onto his head?"

"I guess so."

Kopo who didn't quite understand what was going on and was still frantically trying to get the card off his head.

"I'm sorry buddy that card isn't coming off for a little while." Pokota tried to calm his little friend but it was in vain. Kopo was still upset.

"Awww! Kopo it's okay!" Amelia scooped up the doll cradling him while trying to calm him with her soothing voice. "It won't be on forever."

Even though Kopo still didn't understand at least he responded to Amelia's attention.

Pokota just shook his head. He was going to make a comment until he felt the cold sharp feel of steel against his neck.

With all the commotion Kopo had caused Pokota didn't realize there was someone ready to attack him from behind. Pokota right away tried to get away from his attacker but it was too late, his attacker had him in a tight hold with that blade dangerously close to his skin.

"Don't move or you're dead!" The attacker barked gruffly at Pokota.

"Yeah don't move or he's dead!" Three more men appeared from the bushes with their swords drawn and pointed at them.

"Ambushed!" Pokota sneered through gritted teeth.

"That's right." The obvious leader of the attacking group cackled. It wasn't hard to figure that these men were bandits.

"What do you want?" Amelia demanded while holding Kopo tightly against her.

"Why you Princess Amelia. You and Prince Posel come along with us nicely and we'll spare the life of your boyfriend." The bandit boss motioned to Pokota who was still stuck in the hold.

Both Amelia and Pokota made eye contact. One thing was sure the two of them came to an agreement. These men didn't know that the Pokota was human. That was both a good thing and a bad thing. That meant that the bandits would underestimate Pokota but that also meant they wouldn't care if they killed Pokota.

Amelia knew she could do something at that moment. There were only four bandits and probably wouldn't be that hard to subdue. Amelia was very skilled at magic after all and could probably almost finish casting a spell before they would notice. But with Pokota being held with a sword at his neck it made any action of hers was dangerous to him. It wasn't like Pokota had the normal range of movement of a teenager. Even if Amelia managed to make enough of a distraction or an opportunity for Pokota to escape it was doubtful he'd have the speed and strength to get away. So as she Pokota in the eyes she was both unsure of what to do and afraid for his life.

Pokota could see the confliction evident in Amelia's eyes. Amelia wanted to do something but was afraid he would get hurt or killed. Pokota knew he was in danger but he didn't exactly care. He was already dying, why should he be afraid of a few stupid bandits? Very quietly Pokota begun to chant under his breath.

Amelia saw right away what Pokota was doing and it scared the crap out of he. 'If they realize what he's doing they'll kill him for sure! I've got to distract them!' Amelia thought in a panic. "You know you'll get away with this! My father will have you all hunted down if you kill us!"

"Oh we won't kill you... unless we don't get the ransom money." The bandit boss smiled a greedy smile at Amelia.

Pokota almost couldn't help but smile as he got to the end of incantation. With whatever strength he could muster he grabbed the bandit's arm and pushed the sword away from his neck. _"MONO VOLT!" _Electrical currents shot out of Pokota's hand and coursed through the bandit.

While this was going on Kopo hopped out of Amelia's arms and pounded on one of bandit's head's.

"_Oh source of all power, light which burns crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. FIREBALL!" _Amelia casted quite possibly the quickest fireball she had ever had to try and disable the remaining two bandits. However part of the reason why magic casters had to take a certain amount of time when casting spells is so that they can properly control the power they were channelling. As such the better the mage the quicker they could cast a spell, especially the smaller ones. But when under mental or emotional duress control was that much harder.

The fireball swelled in size much larger then a normal fireball and it shot out from Amelia's hands beyond her control exploding on the ground. The force of the fireball/bomb caused everyone to fly backwards onto their backs.

Even though winded and very tired Pokota sprung into action. _"RAY WING!" _Pokota casted scooping up both Amelia and Kopo and flying away from the bandits at lighting speeds.

It was after about maybe ten minutes of high speed flying that Pokota lost his steam and started to crash down back towards the trees. Thankfully at this moment Amelia had recovered enough to take control with a levitation spell and guide them both down safely.

"Pokota what were you thinking casting mono volt for?" Amelia berated Pokota after they landed.

"What about you? Since when do you let fireballs explode like that?" Pokota shot back.

"I was trying to be quick and I guess I lost control. I had to be fast since you went ahead and started casting magic yourself! And a ray wing spell too? Pokota you shouldn't be casting magic at all!" Amelia stomped her foot in anger. It wasn't that she was ungrateful or anything she was happy to be alive but she didn't like Pokota playing chicken with his life so casually.

"I may be dying but that doesn't mean I have to be some feeble idiot who stands around and does nothing!" Pokota yelled back while feeling a growing pain at the back of his head.

"The whole purpose of this trip is to fix you! What's the point of even trying to get to Siaraag if you're going to around trying to kill yourself faster?" Amelia screamed back.

"Well then maybe I should just give up and go back!" Pokota exploded in frustration. It wasn't Amelia's ordering him around that was bothering him at that moment. The situation was just so frustrating for him. He was human but he couldn't half of the things he used to be able to do before. Being a sorcerer and having the ability to use magic taken away from him was just one more thing to add to the list of things making his life a living hell.

"No you will not!" Amelia yelled at him. "We're going to Siaraag even if I have to drag you all the way there! No more arguing or magic from you!"

"I'm a grown man I can make my own decisions!" Pokota protested.

"Physically you're not and clearly you're not mentally either." Amelia pointed out.

Pokota was going to argue this further when the pain in his got to be too much and he fell down.

"Pokota!" Amelia grabbed him before he hit the ground. "What's wrong now?"

"My head hurts..." Pokota grumbled. "And my eyes..."

Amelia helped Pokota sit down before she examined Pokota's face. Aside from the obvious look of pain in Pokota's face Amelia couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. "How many fingers am I holding up?

"I... don't... know... I can't see." Pokota realized as his vision blurred and darkened. "I'm blind... again."


	13. Chapter 13

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirteen, Unseen 

By Relm

You never really appreciate something till you lose it. Like when you hurt your weaker hand. It's not your strong hand so it's not like you write or use it to do most things. So you might think that you wouldn't need that hand so much. But it's not until you can't use it that you realize how inconvenient it is to not have use of it. Such is the case with Pokota's sight.

This was the second time Pokota was blind. He hadn't enjoyed it that much the first time he lost his sight and this go around wasn't much better. Both dying and blind Pokota had a new appreciation for the plights of Rezo the Red Priest. The wise man may not had been dying but he had been blind his whole life. Pokota had been blind for less than a day and he couldn't stand it. Not knowing where you were going when you were so used to seeing was very frustrating.

"Pokota watch out!" Pokota heard Amelia warn him. Right away he went to freeze but it was too late and he tripped on an overgrown tree root. "Owwww! Damn!" Pokota cursed as he got back to his feet.

"Are you hurt?" Amelia rushed to his side to assess the damage.

"Just bruised I think." Pokota guessed.

"No you're bleeding." Amelia grabbed his right arm and cast a small healing spell to heal the wound.

"I'm cut?" Pokota wondered out loud.

"It's not too bad I've got it almost healed up." Amelia assured him.

"I didn't even feel it." Pokota grumbled under his breath. "I hate not being able to see!"

"How did you manage the last time?"

"Kopo helped me and we went very slowly. Plus I was going from Tarforashia to Sailune. I've made that trip many times before. But I've never been to Siaraag or traveled these woods before." Pokota admitted.

"And we can't go slowly because we need to get to Siaraag quickly." Amelia added.

"Yeah that's right. And we don't know if those bandits are still following us."

"I should just fly us all the way to Siaraag."

Pokota frowned. "No that's too far even without carrying anyone. If you try to fly the both of us all the way to Siaraag you could collapse mid flight. And with me not being able to see I wouldn't be able to stop us from crashing to the ground in time. It's too dangerous."

"But you don't have a lot of time." Amelia countered.

"Weren't you the one that was warning me just hours ago that I shouldn't take stupid risks?" Pokota pointed out.

"I'm not the one that's ill."

"I'm not ill, I'm dying."

"Pokota please stop talking like that!"

"Then give up on the flying idea."

Amelia frowned. "Fine. It's late, we should stop and set up camp."

"How late is it?" Pokota looked around even though he couldn't see.

"It's not dark yet but it's going to be very soon. Over here should be a good place." Amelia suggested leading Pokota over a spot under a large tree. "This tree is pretty big and has good cover. It should shield us if there is any rain."

"Where's Kopo?"

"He's been running off here and there gathering things. I tied a sack around his back for him to put the things he gathers in. So far he's brought me nuts, fruits and vegetables. He's a pretty handy little scavenger. Which is a good thing since we have to make sure you're well fed. But we're still going to need more protein then the nuts we have."

"Is there a river or lake nearby?"

"No, we're pretty far into the woods. If we're going eat anything meat wise it's going to have to be hunted." Amelia commented with a grimace.

"You are not going to hunt an animal down." Pokota stated rather firmly.

"What do you mean? We need something to eat, so I have to."

"But you can't. You're not that kind of person. You can't go and kill innocent animals."

"I fish and fish are alive when I catch them." Amelia justified.

"It's not the same and you know it. Amelia I appreciate everything you have done for me but I'm not going to ask you to go against you morals and kill an animal for my benefit."

"But you need to have protein Pokota!"

"Then the nuts will have to enough."

Amelia frowned. Pokota could be very stubborn when he wanted to be. And even though she wanted to fight him on this she just didn't have to the will to. She didn't want to hunt down a defenceless little animal. "Kopo has been gone for a long time... I should go find him before it gets dark." Amelia mused looking up to the sky.

"Kopo will be fine. He'll come back when he's ready."

"But he's been a really long time. What if something bad happened to him?"

"Amelia I'm sure he's fine. He's made of cloth and stuffing for crying out loud. Anything that tries to eat him is going to be sorely disappointed." Pokota darkly joked in hopes of easing Amelia's worry.

Unfortunately for Pokota his words didn't have the desired effect. "Oh gods what if some animal tried to eat him? He could be laying in pieces somewhere!" Amelia grumbled.

"Then we'll stitch him up. Believe me I had that body for several years. It may hurt but it's not that bad."

Amelia sighed while unconsciously rubbing her stomach. Had Pokota been able to see he surely would have commented on this. Truthfully Amelia wasn't even aware she was doing it. Her stomach was hurting but she wasn't even thinking about it.

The rustling of bushes and trees caught Amelia and Pokota's attention. Right away both mages had their hands ready to cast a spell.

Jumping out of the greenery was Kopo happily hopping along.

"Kopo! You scared me!" Amelia semi-scolded the stuffed animal. She went to scoop him up when she noticed that the sack she had attached to his back wasn't empty. "Kopo what did you bring this time?" As Amelia looked inside the basket she almost recoiled. "Rabbits and birds..." She commented with disgust.

"Well there you go problem solved. Kopo hunted for us." Pokota commented happily.

"Easy for you to say you're blind at the moment. You can't clean the animals out." Amelia scrunched her face in a frown.

"Well what do you think was going to happen if you had gone and hunted? That the kills would magically clean themselves?"

Amelia glared at him even though darn well that he could see her. "I wasn't thinking that far ahead."

"Just because I'm blind doesn't mean that I can't help. I can pluck feathers or do something."

Amelia handed Pokota some of the birds before getting out her knife.

...

Though the day had been clear and calm by the time the night fell upon the travelers the sky was blanketed by dark clouds. Those clouds were filled the brim and ready to explode. And explode they did showering the forest with cold rain.

Taking refuge under that big tree Amelia, Pokota and Kopo had managed to avoid the downpour for the most part. Even though there was just the scarcest amount of clouds when Amelia had made her prediction of rain it was as if the heavens had been listening.

The rain wasn't a light drizzle, it came down in sheets. The sound of the storm was almost deafening with the roar of the drops hitting the ground. Though loud and constant it was also very soothing quickly lulling Amelia and Kopo to sleep. Even Pokota felt calmed and sleepy from the sound but he couldn't go to bed.

Since being attacked by those bandits dangers of traveling became more real for the travellers. Though it was doubtful that any creature or person would attack in such weather they had to be prepared.

Amelia had wanted to take first watch because she felt Pokota needed the sleep much more than she did. But Pokota would have none of it. The previous night Amelia had spent most of it watching over Pokota. So that meant that Amelia was in dire need of sleep. Pokota wasn't about to have her sacrifice more sleep for him. Because he knew that if Amelia took first watch she wouldn't wake him at all. And that thought didn't sit right with Pokota even when Amelia insisted she would wake him.

It had been a long argument between the two royals until finally Pokota won. He claimed he was too troubled to sleep anyway. Of course that was when the rain had been light. Now that it came down with such gusto he was having trouble keeping his eyes open.

That was a funny feeling. Not being able to keep your eyes open when you couldn't even see. Why bother having them open at all?

In an effort to keep his mind off sleeping Pokota idly poked at the fire. It would hiss and crackle each time a stray drop of rain managed to land on its embers. A newly blind man tending a fire could be a dangerous thing but Pokota was aware of how close he was to the flames. He could feel their heat and hear the sounds they made.

Taking advantage of the rain Amelia had opened up all their canteens and left them outside of the camp. By now the rain had completely filled them and was spilling over to the ground. If Pokota could have seen at that moment he would have scooped them up and put their lids back on.

'I hope when I wake I'll be able to see. It's already going to take us a long time to get to Siaraag as it is but being blind will slow us down a lot. I don't have the time to get used to being blind.' Pokota thought to himself. He was aware that time was running out for him. And even though being permanently blind was a small price to pay to have his life back he knew it wouldn't end at his eyes. There was a very real chance that he wasn't going to get his sight back and that it could be the start of his whole koppi body disintegrating.

'Maybe I shouldn't have been so hasty to say no to Amelia offer to fly us. I'll talk to her in the morning about it. It may not matter though; Siaraag may prove to hold no answers for me.' Pokota let out a sigh as he looked out blindly into the forest. 'At least if I'm going to die I won't be dying alone.' It was small comfort for Pokota albeit a morbid one but a comfort nether less.


	14. Chapter 14

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Fourteen, Sleeping In

By Relm

When Amelia woke up she was quite cross to see that the sun was starting to rise. Pokota clearly didn't wake her for her watch. The rainclouds had cleared with just a few fluffy white clouds dotting the orange and red sky. It was quite pretty but did little to defuse Amelia's agitation. The whole idea of taking watches was to be safe during the night. So that one person didn't have to do all the guard duty and that everyone could get some sleep.

Not being woken up didn't surprise Amelia. In a way she had been expecting this. Pokota may have had personality traits similar to Lina but there was some that were completely his own. He was a very caring person and stubborn to boot. Being self sacrificing was something that went all the way down to Pokota's core. He felt bad about Amelia not sleeping the night before so he was just trying to make up for it and letting her sleep. Even though this was a nice gesture it was a stupid one. Besides ample nutrition Pokota needed sleep. For him to sacrifice sleep was dangerous to his health.

Amelia was about to give Pokota a verbal lashing until she noticed that the Tarforashian prince wasn't awake.

Pokota was sitting by the now extinguished fire sitting in the exact same spot and position he had been when Amelia had gone to sleep. The only difference was that Pokota's head was lowered and his eyes were closed.

Amelia's first thought was that Pokota wasn't asleep but actually dead. Given what they were going through this wasn't a strange thought. It would certainly explain why he didn't wake her for her watch.

Right away as that horrible idea of her friend being dead entered her brain Amelia rushed to Pokota's side. The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest and slight wheezing breaths confirmed for Amelia that Pokota was in fact just sleeping. More likely Pokota hadn't meant to fall asleep it just happened once he was standing watch.

Amelia felt a wash of relief when she realized he was still living but a new not so settling one crept in afterwards. 'Is this how it's going to be every time I find him sleep? Am I going to be worrying he's dead? Or am I just waiting to find him dead?' Amelia's thoughts were dark in those early hours of the morning. She shook her head trying to force them out but they held on. And how could they leave anyway? It was only a matter of time before something was going to give. Either Pokota was going to get better or he was going to die. It was a fact that Amelia desperately didn't want to face but it was the truth after all.

She didn't want to think these things; she didn't want to expect the worst. What Amelia wanted was to be positive, because things were going to be okay. She and Pokota were going to get to Siaraag, find some answers and fix this problem. Pokota was going to live a long happy life as the future King of Tarforashia.

Even as Amelia wanted to will that positive attitude into her it just wasn't sticking. It didn't matter that she wanted to be hopeful, the hope was fading fast. It made her feel sick to her stomach knowing what could happen. She knew she had to keep a positive outlook for her friend but how could she? How could she look him in the eye and smile and tell him everything is going to be okay when she herself wasn't even sure.

The only real constant ray of hope was Kopo, but the stuffed animal creature probably didn't have the brain capacity to really grasp things that were going on. Nether less Amelia found herself looking to the living doll for inspiration; a means to relight her positivity. Kopo was asleep at the base of the tree snuggled up in a pile of leaves. He looked peaceful and happy as if he didn't have a care in the world. Like there was really nothing to worry about. Looking at the sleeping doll happily snoring away didn't help matters for Amelia. She still felt the looming fear of losing a friend gripping her heart. And it didn't seem any amount of happy smiles was going to make that fear abate.

It really turned Amelia's stomach in knots thinking about what could end up happening. So much so that Amelia really didn't know if she could stomach eating anything for breakfast. But she knew that at the very least Pokota needed to eat so she went to prep a quick breakfast with the leftovers from the previous night. Starting off with rebuilding the dead fire.

...

It was very common to wake up to hearing a strange sound. The sense of hearing was probably one of man's most useful. Perhaps it went back to primal days back when early man slept in dangerous terrain. Their ears would wake them to potential danger lurking about. But your nose wasn't known to be an effective alarm clock. But when you had a stomach like Pokota it was more often that naught that it was the nose not the ears waking you up.

The smell was somewhat unfamiliar to Pokota but not in a bad way. Whatever it was it smelled delicious and he couldn't help but leave his trip in dreamland early. He was groggy as his opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that his neck hurt. Sleeping sitting up with his head hanging forward was probably to blame for that one. Otherwise the other pains of his body were relatively mild in comparison. However having your whole body ache at the same time wasn't too fun anyway. 'Gods I feel old.' Pokota thought to himself as he looked around. It was daylight and the morning looked fresh and new. The rain had cleared but the air was still a bit cool.

'I can see!' Pokota realized after a moment. It elated the prince that he almost clapped in glee.

Amelia was too preoccupied with breakfast to notice that her traveling companion was awake. Breakfast wasn't a complicated affair; Amelia was mostly just reheating what they didn't eat the previous night. However Amelia was trying to make it a tad different so as not to be boring by using berries, nuts and herbs to change the flavours. She was actually quite pleased with what she managed to come up with.

Pokota was ready to pounce on the food as his stomach was grumbling wildly until one thing dawned on him. He had been sleeping. The last thing he remembered was that he was standing watch. He had no memory of waking up Amelia for her watch and then going to sleep. That meant that either Pokota's memory was faulting or he had actually fallen asleep during his watch. Either way Pokota was unsettled with the outcome and was afraid to let Amelia know he was awake.

While Pokota was sorting through things in his head Amelia had finally caught on that the Tarforashian prince was awake. "Good morning Pokota." She greeted him with as much cheery optimism she could manage.

"Good morning..." Pokota replied sheepishly.

"Are you hungry? Because I just finished preparing breakfast."

"Yes..." Pokota mumbled. "Say Amelia..."

"Yes?"

"Did I... wake you for your watch?" He wondered. A part of Pokota hoped that Amelia would answer yes and he had just forgotten about it. Even though between accidently falling asleep and losing your memory, loss of memory was much worse that was the outcome Pokota was hoping for. If he had fallen asleep then that was just plain outright irresponsible. Someone could have come into their camp and attack them while they were sleeping. And after arguing with Amelia last night that he was still fit to stand watch was even worse. Because that meant he wasn't really trustworthy.

Instead of giving Pokota the answer he wanted Amelia shook her head. "No, I just happened to wake up on my own a couple hours ago."

This got Pokota mentally cursing. "I fell asleep." He stated in angry disbelief. "I can't believe I actually fell asleep!"

"It's okay Pokota. No one tried to attack us last night. So no harm no foul." Amelia tried to reassure him.

"It's not okay!" Pokota protested. "I should have stayed awake! I shouldn't have fallen asleep at all!" His voice was filled with anger and self loathing.

"Really Pokota it's fine. Mister Gourry falls asleep on his watches all the time. It can happen to anyone. Don't be so hard on yourself."

"How can I not be? We were attacked just yesterday! What if those bandits found us when I was supposed to be standing watch? We both could have ended up dead!"

"Well we didn't and there's no sense beating yourself up over things that didn't happen. I know normally you're a dependable person but these aren't normal circumstances Pokota. You're not well it's perfectly understandable that you were too tired to stay awake." Amelia pointed out rationally.

"And what are we going to do that next time we have to camp out? You can't stay up all night every night and I clearly can't be trusted to stay awake. And it's not like we can get Kopo to stand watch, he can't even talk! Not to mention here we are doing all this yelling and he's still asleep!" Pokota pointed to the sleeping doll who really was still slumbering. It didn't seem to matter how much noise Amelia and Pokota made, it failed to disturb the living doll.

"Hopefully we'll get to a town before it gets dark."

"But we're supposed to keep a low profile." Pokota protested.

"Well then we'll stay in a small village or town. I'm sure we'll end up at one at some point in our journey." Amelia tried to rationalize. It was really hard for her to put a positive spin on the situation with Pokota shooting everything down. It was harder still when she secretly agreed with him.

"What if we don't?"

"Then we could just fly to a town if it gets dark. Or are we going to have a repeat of yesterday's argument on flying?" Amelia raised an eyebrow at Pokota as she served him breakfast.

Pokota frowned. He thought back to his thoughts the previous night realizing that Amelia did have a valid point. "Well about that... I was actually doing some thinking about that fight last night... before I fell asleep of course. I may have been a bit stubborn with insisting that you shouldn't fly us to Siaraag. Do you really think you can manage it carrying me and Kopo and fly us all the way there?"

"Of course!" Amelia exclaimed with enthusiasm. "We're pretty much the same size and Kopo doesn't weigh much at all. I mean if it were someone like Mister Gourry then it might be an issue but I know I can do it!"

"At the very least you could fly us part of the way right?"

"Yes, yes of course!" Amelia almost giggled in excitement. "Alright then we can go after we finish breakfast!"

"What did you make? It looks and smells delicious." Pokota asked while examining his plate of food.

"I just used yesterday's leftovers and added a few things. You don't recognize it at all?"

"Well to be fair I couldn't see what I was eating yesterday." Pokota pointed out almost sarcastically before digging into his food.

"Oh that's right you're not blind anymore!" Amelia's eyes lit up when she realized this fact. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I feel like an old man." Pokota answered in between bites. "Or at least I think this is how an old man feels. Everything aches." Unconsciously Pokota rubbed the back his neck.

"You fell asleep while sitting. That's probably to blame for most of the aches." Amelia decided logically. "But how are you feeling otherwise? You're not suffering any blinding pain?"

Pokota shook his head. "I'll probably have an episode or two of them at some point today but right now I guess I'm okay."

"That's good. I guess I better wake Kopo or otherwise he'll sleep through breakfast."

"He would be upset if that happened." Pokota joked with a small smile.

Amelia returned that smile happy that even though things seemed bleak there was still some hope. However as she went to wake Kopo she was unconsciously rubbing her stomach again. The pains from last night seemed to have returned.


	15. Chapter 15

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Fifteen, Mother Nature

By Relm

"Boss I don't think we're going to find them." Hale huffed in exhaustion. The four bandits had been traveling all night in an effort to catch up to where Princess Amelia had gone. Since she and her traveling companion (whom they didn't realize was Pokota) had flown off the bandits' targets had gotten a fair distance on them. Even traveling all through the night they still hadn't caught up to them yet.

"We're not stopping!" Gantz growled. "If we keep going we'll catch up to those little brats and make them pay!"

"If we keep going we're going to die." Yanic cried out melodramatically.

"Yeah and I'm hungry too!" Duin piped up.

"We should stop eat and take a nap." Hale decided.

Yanic and Duin nodded in agreement which didn't go over well with Gantz.

"I'm the boss!" Gantz yelled. "I make the orders and you grunts follow them! We're not stopping!"

The three underlings grumbled in agreement and continued on.

"What are we going to do to them once we do find them?" Yanic wondered.

"I got two more silence cards. We'll use them on the girl and the guy before we attack them. Once we got them beat we'll tie them up and torture the little bastards. And when we've had our fun, we'll kill them." Gantz explained.

"But I thought we're going to use the girl as ransom?" Duin interjected in confusion.

"Yes that's right."

"If we kill the girl how can we ransom her off?"

"Prince Philonel doesn't need to know his daughter is dead, just that we've got her. Once we've got the money we'll dump her corpse and run." Gantz laughed evilly.

The other three bandits joined in with their boss's evil laughter till it was a symphony of cackles echoing through the woods.

...

"That was good!" Pokota exclaimed while stretching after they had finished eating. Whatever Amelia and Pokota didn't finish Kopo ate it all. Once again they were completely out of food.

"Good but we don't have anything now for later." Amelia exclaimed while looking through their now empty sacks.

"Well that's okay since we're going to fly after all. We could always stop in a town on the way for lunch." Pokota suggested. Since talking things over with Amelia he was feeling much more positive about the situation. He was sure with Amelia flying them they would get to Siaraag in no time and get his problem fixed. In Pokota's mind everything was going to be okay.

"You're right." Amelia agreed. "Let's just finish packing up and we'll head out." In the back of her head something was nagging at her. It was more than just that occasional pain in her stomach. Her sudden wavering optimism, the fact that she screwed up that fireball... Something wasn't right with Amelia but she was too preoccupied to notice. With the way things were with Pokota Amelia's thoughts were completely focused on him. She wasn't taking the time to analyzing weird things going on with her.

Once everything was packed it was just a matter of putting out the fire and off they would go.

"Are you ready?" Amelia asked Pokota nervously. She didn't know why she suddenly felt unsure of flying. It had been her idea after all so she should have no reason to fear anything. But like the other strange things going on with Amelia she paid little heed to it.

"Yes I am!" Pokota beamed excitedly. Since finding out his koppi body was failing him Pokota hadn't exactly had much to smile about. However he had a good feeling about this idea and that it would get them both to Siaraag quickly. And when they got to Siaraag they would figure out what do with his failing body.

Amelia wrapped her arms around Pokota timidly. She was going to have to hold him if she was to fly them to Siaraag. However when she had suggested this idea she hadn't thought about how close Pokota would end up being to her. Holding him so close was something more intimate to do with Pokota than Amelia was used to. A blush crept up her face which she tried in vain to force back.

Little did Amelia know but Pokota was also fitting against the losing battle of the blush.

"Alright here we go. _RAY WING_!" Amelia called out as she got ready to take to the sky. But she failed to take off. "Huh?"

"Amelia what's wrong?"

"I don't know let me try again. _RAY WING_!" Still there was no flying for Amelia.

"You can't fly? Is there something wrong with your magic?"

"I don't think so. Let me try something else." Amelia held her hands up readying another spell. "_FIREBALL_!" Though she chanted it properly no flame emerged from her hands. "What's going on?"

"Maybe it's another one of those silence cards." Pokota suggested. Both he and Amelia checked her over to see if there was a card stuck to her anywhere. But after a couple minutes of searching (some of it with blushing) the pair concluded there was no card.

Kopo looked at the two with curiosity. He had no idea what his humans were doing.

"This is really strange... Did someone curse you or something?" Pokota wondered out loud.

The blush that had been on Amelia's face while Pokota was looking her over failed to leave her face. Because Amelia finally realized just why her magic wasn't working. And it embarrassed the heck out of her. "Yeah... mother nature..." She grumbled under her breath.

"Huh?" Pokota blinked in confusion. "How and why would mother nature take away your magic abilities?"

Amelia stared at Pokota in disbelief for a few moments. She couldn't tell if the Tarforashian Prince was being sarcastic or clueless. After a bit of staring Amelia concluded that Pokota really didn't know what she was talking about. 'This is probably how Miss Lina feels with Mister Gourry...' "Well... generally a sorceress has a time that happens every month where she's unable to cast magic." Amelia explained with as little detail as possible. It was embarrassing to talk about and she wanted to say as little as she could about the subject.

"Oh!" Now it was Pokota's turn to blush. "So... it's... um... your time of the month?"

Amelia nodded her head in shame.

"Don't most girls... know that's going to happen... roughly before it's going to happen?" Pokota asked while trying to look anywhere but at Amelia.

Amelia buried her face in her hands. She did not want to be having this conversation. "Yes! Well most of the time! However when you're dealing with a friend who is very ill you can get distracted!"

"Oh." Pokota understood what she meant. She had been so wrapped up in helping him that Amelia was losing track of the days.

"Pokota I'm really sorry!" Amelia blubbered out with tears streaming down her face. "I won't even be able to cast a light spell. There's no way I can fly us."

Though Pokota's hopes of getting to Siaraag were crushed he was more upset with the evident emotional pain he was causing Amelia. If he had just listened to her before she lost her magic they could have been in Siaraag already. But he was the stubborn one that decided a day too late. And now Amelia was upset. 'You're such an idiot.' Pokota berated himself. "It's okay Amelia."

"Not it's not! I suggested this idea and I stupidly forgot about my time of the month! And now it's going to take us longer to get to Siaraag!" Amelia cried out sobbing.

"It's going to take exactly the same amount of time it was going to be from before. The only way we could get to Siaraag faster would have been for me not to have argued with you on the subject of flying in the first place. Since I was stubborn and said no this is my punishment."

"But I should have mentioned my time of the month was coming up when I suggested flying in the first place!" Amelia protested. She felt terrible about the situation as it was but she felt worse with Pokota shifting the blame onto him rather than her. It was her fault after all.

"How could you? You didn't even know you were going to have to run after me when I left Sailune! No I stupidly went off on my own forcing you to come after me with nothing prepared for traveling. All I've been doing is causing you one problem after another. So how can you even think straight at all? Believe me Amelia, this is my fault." Pokota stated very firmly.

"Pokota I can't let you take the blame for something that is clearly my fault. You should be mad at me." Amelia insisted. She was mad at herself and couldn't believe that Pokota wasn't. He was potentially dying after all and every second counted. So for her to tease him with a potential solution only to rip it away was crushing.

"How can I be mad with you? You've been trying so hard to help me going above and beyond the call of friendship. The only person I'm mad at is me. I was the one that got me into all this trouble. That wasn't your doing." Pokota tried to assure Amelia. The last thing he wanted to do was to make Amelia cry. Not when she had done so much for him already.

"But Pokota-"

"No. I will not hear anymore of this 'it's my fault' crap from you. Let's just get a move on." Pokota decided very forcefully. He wasn't trying to be snippy with Amelia he just wanted her to know that he didn't want to discuss the matter further.

"Alright. But if we're not in Siaraag before my time of the month ends then I'll fly us the rest of way." Amelia promised him.

Pokota smiled a small smile at his friend. "Thanks Amelia. Hopefully we'll hit a town before it gets dark."

"I'm sure we will! With justice and perseverance in our hearts there is no way we can fail!" Amelia boasted with bubbling optimism. Which given that she had just been crying a few moments ago was alarming.

Pokota had to frown at this display of sudden mood change. 'Girls can be so random... At least she isn't trying to hit me like Lina does to Gourry.'

...

A couple hours later Gantz, Hale, Yanic and Duin were still trekking through the woods. Their pace had gotten considerably slower as even Gantz was starting to feel fatigued.

"Please Boss can't we rest for a little bit?" Duin whined once more.

"No we have to keep going!" Gantz insisted stubbornly even though he himself was ready to collapse.

"Why not? We can stop here. It looks like someone camped out in this spot last night." Hale pointed out as they came to an area near a big tree. "Looks like they had a fire right here. There's even extra wood. I'm sure we could start up a fire in no time."

"Yeah Boss please?" Yanic also whined in a very grating voice.

Gantz looked at he used camp and saw something that his underlings didn't. "This is where those brats camped out."

"Well then that means they aren't much farther than us. So we can take the time to rest and eat!" Yanic insisted in a happy voice.

"No you idiot it means we need to continue on!" Gantz yelled at his underlings. However his own body betrayed him as his stomach decided to voice his own opinion which was to rumble. Gantz was clearly very hungry.

"You hungry Boss?"

"Fine we'll take a small break..." Gantz grumbled.

_(Author's Note: Some days I can work on this story and it's easy. But most of the time I struggle with it. I could blame a lack of focus (I've had many distractions this week) but the truth of it is this fic wasn't grabbing my attention. Not 100% happy with what I ended up with but hey at least I finished the part.)_


	16. Chapter 16

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Sixteen, Progress

By Relm

Pokota, Amelia and Kopo pressed onwards to Siaraag trying to get to the former magic capital as fast as they could. But when you are traveling with someone who was gravely ill fast wasn't always in your vocabulary. Though Pokota wasn't getting as many massive pain attacks as he was before he was in more constant nagging pain. His whole body ached and he was exhausted. Even though he wanted to go farther faster, his failing body kept making them have to stop and rest. It was very frustrating for the Tarforashian Prince to have the mind of a teenager but not the stamina or strength of one.

"Okay let's get going." Pokota decided while getting up after sitting for five minutes.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest a little longer?" Amelia suggested while helping Pokota get up.

"If I did what my body wanted to do then we wouldn't be moving at all. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and just keep pushing forward. I'm not going to get any better so waiting around resting isn't going to do me much good. I have to keep going." Pokota groaned while rubbing his back. It was especially sore among other body parts.

Amelia frowned but didn't argue. She knew he was right but it was bothering her seeing her friend in so much pain. As a person that studies white magic as passionately as Amelia does it was never easy to watch someone suffer.

While Amelia and Pokota were starting up walking again Kopo had spent the whole time scavenging around for things. He had a sack around his neck as he hopped along gathering things to eat. This was Kopo second bag as he had already filled the first one and given it to Amelia to carry.

"Do you want some more fruit?" Amelia offered while fishing around in the sack Kopo had filled for her.

"Yeah, sure." Pokota mumbled. He didn't really feel hungry but he knew he should keep on eating. Besides eating while walking was just enough things to distract himself making him forget about his pain. At least for a little while.

Amelia handed Pokota what looked like the world's ugliest pear. She knew from the variety that it was supposed to look that way and that it was very delicious. It was an encouraging sight to see for Amelia as the tree of this particular variety didn't grow near Sailune. Amelia couldn't judge exactly how far they were from Siaraag but at least she knew they had made some progress.

"Are you sure this isn't poisonous?" Pokota eyed the fruit suspiciously.

"It's a Namagomi Pear and they aren't poisonous." Amelia assured him.

Pokota still looked at the fruit with suspicion as the name of it didn't inspire confidence. He timidly took a bite and was surprised by the delightful splash of flavour on his taste buds. "This is delicious!" He exclaimed.

"Often the ugliest produce tastes the best." Amelia stated very sagely.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to look a warty looking apple the same way."

Amelia smiled feeling just a bit pleased with herself. Pokota was enjoying the fruit and completely ignoring his pain. 'Maybe I could just get him to eat the whole entire time.'

"Where's Kopo?" Pokota wondered looking around.

"Probably gathering more things. I tied another sac to him after he filled this one." Amelia motioned to the sac she had slung over her shoulder.

"Is that the one he had the dead things in?" Pokota asked while making a disgusted face.

"No he has that one. And even still I washed that one out at that stream we passed a while back before I gave it to him."

"It's too bad that stream was so small. I would have liked to be able to catch some fish." Pokota sighed as he finished his pear almost eating whole.

"Well small streams usually branch off from bigger sources so maybe we'll hit a river or a lake soon."

"Or maybe Kopo will bring us some more dead animals." Pokota joked.

Now it was Amelia's time to make a face. "I know having protein to eat is a good thing but I didn't enjoying the cleaning the animals he brought last time."

"Well I can see now, how I about I do most of the cleaning next time." Pokota offered.

A couple loud crashes distracted Amelia and Pokota from their conversation as large wild boar stormed through the woods squealing the whole time.

"What the hell...?" Pokota looked to the source of the noise as it came to towards.

The boar squealed as it ran past that it almost ran Amelia and Pokota over. The two had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.

Kopo looked pretty pleased with himself as he sat perched upon the boar as it zoomed around the forest.

"Well it looks like Kopo brought us an animal again but this one will have to be killed." Amelia commented dryly.

Pokota frowned as he watched the boar smash itself into a tree. "I don't really want to kill the creature, but if could smoke the meat we could make ourselves some jerky. Which would be better for taking with us on the rest of the trip." He rationalized trying to convince himself it was the right course of action. However he was failing miserably.

...

"What is that smell?" Yanic exclaimed sniffing the air. Whatever it was it smelled delicious. "Am I that hungry and I'm smelling things or does something smell really good?"

"I smell it too!" Duin exclaimed. "It's coming from over there!"

The bandit foursome followed the source of the smell and what they found were the very targets they were after.

Pokota, Amelia and Kopo were around an extinguished fire and were packing up what they had cooked up. From the smell of it the bandits figured it was pork and gods did it smell like heaven.

"I smell bacon..." Hale whined under his breath. It had been so long since he had bacon...

"Forget the bacon!" Gantz hissed under his breath. "Let's get those cards on those brats!"

...

"Okay I think that's the last of it." Amelia mumbled as she finished packing the last bit of the food. She didn't know if she had made the jerky properly or if it would last but at least they should have a little bit of food for the next two days.

"Usually I enjoy eating this kind of stuff. But when you know how it's prepared you don't enjoy it all that much." Pokota sighed while stuffing his face with some of the freshly cooked meat.

"It's all part of life. We hunt and we eat." Amelia tried to reassure him.

"But I killed a piggy..." Pokota looked very sad as he still tore through the meat.

"It was a wild boar and it was bigger than you are. And there's a good chance it would have killed us with the way it was charging around."

"But a piggy..."

"You can become a vegetarian when we heal you." Amelia snapped. She was getting just a tad annoyed with Pokota's theatrics. Not that she normally found Pokota that irritating she was just feeling a bit testier. Since she wasn't all there she didn't realize a card had landed on her shoulder.

Though still distraught Pokota continued eating. He too was aware of a certain card attaching itself to his shoulder either.

Amelia was just about to say something else to Pokota when the four bandits came rushing out of the trees with their swords drawn.

Instinctively Pokota raised his arms to cast a spell. "_FIREBALL!_" But alas no flames emerged from his hands. "Huh?"

"BWAHAHAHA! Magic isn't going to get you out of this one this time!" The bandit leader Gantz bellowed. "Not with those silence cards on your shoulders!"

Amelia and Pokota looked to their shoulders and saw what the bandit boss was talking about. But just like with Kopo neither mage could get the offending card off.

Knowing that she had little options Amelia got into a defensive stance. She didn't like directly hurting people but she had little choice.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Gantz laughed harder. "Oh so you really think you can take on all four of us with just your puny little self? HAHAHAHAHAHA! The princess is sure a stupid one!"

The other three bandits roared out with laughter.

Pokota and Amelia stood close to each other ready to defend even though they were surrounded. How were they going to get out of this one?

'I wish I had a sword!' Amelia thought to herself miserably. All she had was her knife and it was pathetic and small.

Perhaps Kopo felt the fear from his humans or perhaps he just didn't like the bandits but Kopo seemed rather determined as he stood before the bandits.

"Aw the little guy wants to protect his friends!" Gantz pointed laughing.

"But boss what if that's Prince Pokota? Shouldn't we throw another card on him?" Duin asked with worry evident in his voice.

"I don't know what the hell that is but it ain't the prince." Gantz decided. "And besides that was my last silence card anyway."

Figuring it was pointless to even worry the four bandits resumed their former composure and arrogance. However this was grave mistake.

It was hard to tell what Kopo was doing at that moment. He had his hand/ears extended before him and his head was down in concentration. As strange of a stance this was it became clear very quickly as a large massive ball of energy formed before those hand/ears of his.

The bandits only had a few seconds before they were blasted by a ball of magical energy.

Amelia had tried to shield herself but she was thrown to the ground by Pokota who was shielding her. However neither mage came to harm as they found themselves in a barrier that was flying through the sky.

"Are you okay?" Amelia asked Pokota as she wiggled out from under him. If the situation hadn't be so dire she might have taken the time to process and blush at Pokota's action.

Pokota got up while rubbing his neck. "I think so. You?"

Amelia nodded. "What happened?"

The two looked around and found they were flying through the sky in a barrier with Kopo looking to be concentrating very hard.

"My gods Kopo did this?" Amelia exclaimed not believing what she was seeing. "How can he do this?"

"Well he was a koppi of me and I am pretty good with magic. I guess some of that ability got transferred to him even in that doll body." Pokota theorized.

"That's amazing!"

"True but I think you should be prepared for a crash, there's no telling how long he can hold this up for. White magic isn't my strong suit as it is and I'm pretty sure Kopo is the same." Pokota warned her.

Amelia nodded. "Even if he can't hold it for long we are making pretty good ground." She observed looking down at the forest below.

"Yeah we are aren't we?" Pokota realized with a bit of a laugh. Who would have thought bandits doing a surprise attack would be a good thing?


	17. Chapter 17

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Seventeen, New/Old Siaraag

By Relm

Kopo held onto the magic barrier a lot longer than Pokota and Amelia had expected and even managed to land them safely. The moment they touched down however Kopo couldn't hold on any longer and he collapsed in a tired heap.

"Oh Kopo, you poor thing!" Amelia exclaimed while picking up the little stuffed animal koppi.

"Is he alright?" Pokota wondered as he tried to look over his little friend.

"Yeah I think so. It looks like he's just sleeping. He must have really tired himself out." Amelia commented showing Kopo to Pokota.

"Well I'm not surprised. He held onto that barrier a hell of a lot longer than I would have."

"Perhaps you might be better at white magic than you think." Amelia observed.

"So where are we? Are we close to New Siaraag?"

"Yes I think so. This area looks familiar." Amelia mused as she looked around. She'd only been to Siaraag a few times but it was an enough to get an idea of where she needed to go. "But it's getting dark. If we continue on like this I'll probably get us lost for sure."

Pokota nodded. "Yeah we should set up camp for the night and leave when the sun rises. I highly doubt we'll have to deal with those bandits for a least a little while."

"Yeah Kopo blasted them very far away. I hope we never see them again. They're so annoying!" Amelia grumbled.

"I promise you next time I decide to take off on a crazy mission to cure my dying body I'll make sure to bring bodyguards." Pokota darkly joked.

Amelia narrowed her eyes at him. "Just start the fire and stop with the dark humour." She ordered him.

…

That night things went a bit more smoothly than they had the whole trip. The weather co-operated, they had enough food for dinner and they didn't have to worry about those pesky bandits. And since they were already so close to New Siaraag their collective spirits were much higher. They both were starting to feel like perhaps things weren't as bleak as they had been. That maybe things just might end up being okay.

Since they were sure they were going to be fine this time Amelia and Pokota decided not to take watches. Instead they just made an alarm system of string, cans and rocks. If anyone was to get near them they would trip something and make all kinds of noise. So as long as Kopo didn't wake up in the middle of the night and decide to venture away from camp then things were going to be fine.

Though their worries were lessened that didn't stop Pokota from having disturbing dreams. There were all kinds of disturbing images and things assaulting his mind. He died several times in his dreams and had to watch other people die too. It made him shiver uncontrollably while he slept. Had Amelia not been so tired herself she surly would have woken up by the noise Pokota was making.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Pokota screamed out loud waking up from the most recent of his nightmares. The first thing that he saw as he opened his eyes was the hot sun rising. Given his panicked state this blinding light just further upset him.

"Pokota! Pokota you're okay! You were just dreaming." Amelia grabbed her friend trying to calm him. She had woken by the sound of Pokota's screaming but she had more presence of mind to keep things together.

"What?" Pokota blinked blindly in confusion. "What happened?"

"I think you were having a nightmare. Are you okay? Are you in pain?"

After letting out a couple heavy breaths Pokota's heart settled a bit. "Yeah I think so."

"What were you dreaming about?"

Pokota tried to recall the things that he saw in his dream but they were just foggy images that were fading away into the back reassess of his mind. "I… don't know… I can't remember…"

Amelia tightened her grip on Pokota's shoulder. "It's probably better that way. No sense dwelling on just a silly dream right?" She smiled at him encouragingly.

Pokota smiled back at her weakly. "Yeah I guess so. I guess we should get packed up and start walking."

"Don't you want to eat breakfast first before we pack up?"

Pokota shook his head. "No I want to get to New Siaraag and I want to get there fast. Let's just eat on the way there."

…

Amelia was right, they were pretty close to New Siaraag. After just a few more hours of walking the three of them entered to what used to be the edge of the old town. New Siaraag wasn't near as big as the previous versions of the city but it was clearly expanding. The new city was in the middle of Old Siaraag near where Flagoon had once been.

Pokota was happy to see the land where his people originated from but was sad to not see Flagoon. After wanting to see that tree for so many years it broke his heart to finally get there and not see it. It made him appreciate his own holy tree in Tarforashia that much more.

"Looks strange without Flagoon." Amelia commented as if she was reading Pokota's mind.

"I'll bet it was a beautiful tree…"

Amelia nodded.

Feeling empathy for those lost Amelia and Pokota each did a silent prayer to honour the dead and the lost holy tree.

"It is beautiful here though even without Flagoon." Pokota mused once the two of them were finished their prayers.

"Yes it is pretty."

"Where do you suppose Miss Sylphiel lives?" Pokota wondered as he looked at all the various buildings in the city. Since it was still developing New Siaraag was still pretty small. But there were lots of houses to knock on. Given that it was still pretty early in the morning it wasn't a good idea to knock on every home they saw.

"According to the letter Miss Sylphiel sent me after she settled in New Siaraag she should be in a small house with green walls with white trimming. And the house should be at the edge of the town near the cities' hospital." Amelia explained recounting what she had read from memory.

"Isn't that the hospital over there? Or is that the shrine?" Pokota pointed to a small building with a sign hanging out front that was a cross sitting in the middle of a red heart.

"That should be the hospital. Meaning…" Amelia scanned the area behind the hospital until she found what she was looking for. "That house over there should be Miss Sylphiel's home right there!"

The house was exactly was Amelia had described it. The only differences from what Sylphiel wrote in her letter was that the shrine maiden had a full flower and vegetable gardens out front of her home. And in true typical Sylphiel fashion, there was a pie cooling on the window sill. The steam danced in the early morning air proving that the shrine maiden was definitely up.

"She got up early to make pie?" Pokota blinked in surprise. The smell was heavenly and it was taking all his self control not to run over to the sill and gobble up the pie whole.

"Miss Sylphiel loves to bake pies. Apparently it's Mister Gourry's favourite." Amelia explained while trying to keep Kopo from jumping out of her arms. Kopo was clearly just as impressed with the pie was his original was.

Almost as if she was aware they were talking about her Sylphiel emerged from her house. "Oh my! You did come after all!" Sylphiel exclaimed in her usual quiet and polite manner. "Please come in." She motioned for the threesome to follow her into her home.

"Miss Sylphiel you knew we were coming?" Amelia had to ask as they followed her.

"I had a strange dream that I was going to get visitors. Though I had no idea who it was but I knew it was going to be today. It is a nice surprise! I haven't had any visitors yet." Sylphiel smiled as she motioned for her guests to sit down at the kitchen table. She was quick to serve them tea and cookies.

"I'm sorry to say Miss Sylphiel we're not here for a social visit. We need your help." Pokota explained.

Sylphiel blinked in confusion as she looked at Pokota. She recognized the voice for sure but this wasn't the Prince of Tarforashia that she had come to know. And what's worse she saw the stuffed animal she knew to be Pokota sitting on the table eating all the cookies. "Prince Pokota…?" She looked between the koppi body and the stuffed animal in very obvious confusion.

Pokota nodded. "Yes it's me. It's a long story…" With a heavy sigh Pokota went on to explain everything that had happened to him and how bad things were.

During the whole story Sylphiel had been frowning. It was a very distressing tale that made her feel very concerned. Right as soon as Pokota finished explaining everything Sylphiel had her hands up to use her magic on him. "I can sense it… Your body isn't whole. It's coming apart. But I'm not quite sure what I can do. I haven't had much experience with koppis. I could try and heal you but with all the healers and doctors who have already seen you I'm sure they had exhausted any spells I could potentially try."

"I know. We weren't expecting you to heal me. We were hoping you could help us find something." Pokota explained.

"What were you looking for?"

"Well there are many books on koppis and curses by Rezo the Red Priest." Amelia interjected. "We got the idea that Miss Eris must have written a lot of books on the subject as well. And since she was helping Rezo and Koppi Rezo then we figured there was a good chance she had a lab here in Siaraag as well."

Sylphiel was still frowning. "That seems like a bit of a leap Amelia."

Up until now both Pokota and Amelia had been convinced they were going to find their answers in New Siaraag. But hearing that statement from Sylphiel made them both seem how foolish that was. Had they wasted all that time getting to New Siaraag for nothing?

"Could have Eris had a lab in or around Siaraag?" Pokota asked still holding onto a shred of hope.

"It's possible…" Sylphiel mused. "And if Miss Eris did have a lab around here she surely would have had more books on koppis than Rezo the Red Priest."

"Do you think it's possible to get into part of Rezo the Red Priest's lab?" Amelia wondered.

Sylphiel was quick to shake her head. "Amelia you were there. You saw how destroyed that place got. We're lucky we got out of there alive!"

"But there could still be one of Miss Eris' labs around right?" Amelia prompted her in a feeble hopeful voice.

"Possibly. And I'm assuming you'd like me to help you find it?"

Both Amelia and Pokota nodded. In seeing his 'humans' nodding Kopo nodded as well.

Sylphiel nodded in determination. "Very well. Let me get some supplies and let's see what we can find."


	18. Chapter 18

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Eighteen, The Right Way

By Relm

With all the supplies needed in hand Sylphiel, Amelia, Pokota and Kopo headed off to the ruins of old Siaraag to where Rezo the Red Priest's lab had once been.

Because of all the repeated destruction of the former magical capital of the demon peninsula it made things hard to navigate as to where things had been. It was doubtful of the current residents of New Siaraag that any of them could figure out which way to go better than Sylphiel. For she was 'oldest' of all the townspeople. Few had lived in the area longer than her.

Even with a seasoned guide in Sylphiel things were still hard to find. Sylphiel was able to recognize some ruined landmarks but it was her magical senses that helped her see the way. Eventually Sylphiel lead Amelia, Pokota and Kopo to what had been the lab of the great Rezo.

"Right here under our feet is where Master Rezo's lab used to be." Sylphiel informed the trio motioning the ground below them.

It was an especially mangled area with much rubble. Moss covered a lot of the old stonework making the mess look much older than it was.

Pokota couldn't help but shiver as he looked down. Even though he wasn't a shrine priest he could feel the residual magical energy that seeped into the earth. It wafted into the air like smoke from a fire. Though you couldn't see it you could definitely feel it. "It feels so... powerful here."

Sylphiel nodded in agreement. "Master Rezo was dealing with all kinds of powerful things in his lab that where properly contained with magical seals. With the lab destroyed much the power is being leached into the surrounding area."

Though amazed by the power Pokota couldn't help but frown. "There doesn't look like there could be any chance for us to enter the lab." He surmised sadly.

"I told you as much." Sylphiel reminded him. "But we are looking for a lab that Miss Eris might have had not a way to get into Master Rezo's destroyed one."

"How would we find another lab around here with all the miasmic energy from Master Rezo's lab?" Amelia wondered not sensing any other energy than that below them.

"We don't look for the energy from the lab but rather the lack of energy." Sylphiel explained.

Both Amelia and Pokota frowned at this explanation. "What do you mean Miss Sylphiel?" Pokota asked.

"I'm sure it's common knowledge that any sorcerer or sorceress would want to keep a lab of theirs secret right? Well if Miss Eris had a lab around these parts she would have no doubt put safe guards in place to keep it hidden. So most likely it would be shielded keeping all the magical items and energies inside appear normal like the area that surrounds it." Sylphiel explained. "The miasmic energy of Master Rezo's lab is permeating the area making the whole area seem full of energy. If Miss Eris had a lab here it would be shielded making it a blank spot of energy."

"That's very smart thinking Miss Sylphiel." Pokota complimented the shrine maiden. "But that's still a lot of assuming though."

"Don't lose hope Pokota!" Amelia smiled cheerfully. "We've come all this way so we can't give up now!"

Pokota nodded. "I know Amelia. Gotta keep positive." He said to himself more than Amelia.

"Alright let's start looking." Sylphiel decided.

...

Hours passed and Pokota, Amelia and Sylphiel were still searching for the potential lab of the late sorceress Eris. But try as they may they were having little success. If Eris did have a lab in these parts it might have been destroyed at the same time as Rezo's. Frustration levels were getting higher for the trio.

The only person who wasn't stressed was the one person who wasn't even searching in the first place. And that was Kopo. At that moment the little stuffed animal/koppi was taking a nap while his humans searched. He didn't know what they were doing in the ruins in the first place anyway.

"I don't think there's a lab." Pokota exclaimed sighing in defeat. He sat himself down on a moss covered stone feeling fatigued, in pain and hunger.

"Don't act like that Pokota! If we keep looking I'm sure we'll find something!" Amelia tried to encourage her friend.

"That may be true Amelia, but I think Pokota has the right idea." Sylphiel interjected. "Not about there being no lab but we should take a break and eat lunch."

Pokota weakly smiled at the shrine maiden as she got out the lunch she had prepared them all. He had little to no memories of his mother but in his heart Pokota believed she might have been like Sylphiel. There were few people he'd ever encountered that made him feel cared for than the quiet shrine maiden. "Maybe some food will change my attitude. Thanks Miss Sylphiel."

Sylphiel smiled as she handed out the food she had packed for them to eat.

Even though the meal was already prepared and cold somehow Kopo was alerted to the presence of the food and woke just in time to get his share.

"He kinda reminds me of Gourry-dear, always ready for a meal." Sylphiel joked as she handed the stuffed animal his food.

Once Kopo had his food in hand he leapt back over to the very rock he had been napping on to eat his food.

"Kopo why are going all the way over there for?" Pokota called out to his koppi counterpart. "Come eat with us."

Kopo looked at Pokota and considered his human's requested before shaking his head and going back to his lunch.

"Kopo that's rude!" Amelia exclaimed.

Still Kopo failed to respond and continued eating while ignoring them.

"That's not like him." Pokota concluded. "He's usually so social. I've never seen him prefer to be alone like that. Maybe we've been ignoring him too much lately and he's starting to feel resentful."

"Or maybe there's just something about that spot that Kopo likes too much." Sylphiel suggested as she got up and walked over to the koppi. She noticed right away as she got close to the rock Kopo sat on as to why the koppi was so keen on staying there. Since searching the area they didn't bother to look around the very area that Kopo was sleeping in. Partly because the stuffed animal was napping and they didn't want to disturb him. But the other reason was because they figured that if Kopo found anything he would have told them. The truth was Kopo didn't know what they were doing and he only napped in that spot because it was the only area that wasn't saturated in magical energy.

"Miss Sylphiel what is it?" Amelia questioned the shrine maiden.

Sylphiel didn't answer right away instead she just continued walking toward Kopo. Once she was standing before the koppi Sylphiel put a gloved hand down to the rock Kopo was eating on. It was clear as day what made this particular rock special. "It's a barrier stone."

"What's a barrier stone?" Pokota asked as he and Amelia walked over to join Sylphiel near Kopo.

"It's a marker for the outskirts of a barrier. A sort of anchor point to keep a protection spell going long after it's cast." Sylphiel explained.

"So what you're saying whatever lies in the in the area beyond this stone could be Miss Eris' lab?" Amelia prompted her.

Sylphiel deftly nodded. Looking to the woods that lay beyond the stone Sylphiel couldn't help but frown. The woods were dense with no real trail to lead them though that wasn't the reason why Sylphiel wasn't happy. This particular patch of woods held dead and petrified trees. It was hard to tell the reason why the forest seemed to be dead in this part. Had it always been like this? Or was this because of Koppi Rezo or Hellmaster Phibrizzo? Regardless it gave Sylphiel the creeps.

"Alright let's go!" Pokota cheered not even the slightest bit unnerved by the sight before him.

Sylphiel was quick to shake her head. "No. Let's finish eating first. We might encounter dangers that require our full strength." She explained.

Though Pokota was in a hurry he couldn't argue with that logic. Especially since the lunch in question had been prepared by Sylphiel. It may be simple things such as sandwiches but somehow Sylphiel always managed to make them taste better.

...

Once lunch was finished the foursome continued their trek slowly in the dying woods. With no clear path or trail to take it would have been good to have a sword or a machete to clear things. However since none of them were skilled with a sword they had no such tool at their disposal. Which meant the going was slow as they weaved through the intertwining trees. Many times the foursome got themselves caught on branches making the trek that much more annoying.

"It's hard to believe someone would make a lab in the middle of the woods like this." Pokota grumbled.

"Not really. The harder it is for someone to get into your lab the better." Sylphiel explained. "The last thing you want to do is make a lab that's easy to get to and enter."

"Still the lab must be underground." Pokota rationalized. "How the heck are we going to figure out how to get down without blowing the ground up?"

"I'll bet we'll come to a clearing in the middle of the woods. It will probably be disguised but that's where the entrance will be." Sylphiel stated. She wasn't trying to be positively reassuring like Amelia did usually. No this was what Sylphiel firmly believed.

"How can you be so sure?" Pokota had to question her on this.

"Because I can feel it. We're getting close."

Beyond a few more clusters of trees the foursome found the exact clearing Sylphiel had predicted. It wasn't a large one and it appeared the trees in this area had been cleared out with magic.

"Okay so where is this entrance?" Pokota wondered while looking around.

Sylphiel was also looking but nothing struck her as being odd or out of place. She could sense power though it was hard to pin point where it was coming from. It seemed to be coming from every which direction. 'It's probably the barrier making things hard to sense.' She rationalized. So Sylphiel did the only thing she could think of doing at that moment. She knelt down on her knees and pulled her rod out. With a quick prayer she stood the rod up and let it fall to the ground. "It's this way." Sylphiel concluded pointing to the direction the rod fell.

"What? You just let that thing fall and go with whatever direction it's pointing to?" Pokota exclaimed not one bit impressed with Sylphiel's process.

"It's a proven shrine maiden technique Pokota." Amelia assured him. "It always works."

Sylphiel giggled nervously as she put her rod away. She didn't want to correct the princess but there were many times Sylphiel had done this prayer and the direction the rod steered her was the wrong way. But given that they didn't have any idea of where to go next as it was following a rod wasn't a worst idea they could have.

The direction the rod had pointed to was a big tree stump. There were several tree stumps in this little clearing so there was nothing in its outward appearance that signalled that this stump was anything but ordinary.

"That must have been one big tree." Amelia commented in awe looking at the size of the stump. "It's a shame it got cut down."

"Given that all the trees that surround this area are dead or petrified it probably wouldn't have had a better fate." Sylphiel put her hand on the stump hoping to find some clue as how to enter this lab.

Amelia and Pokota also did the same but as the three of them looked nothing seemed to be particularly special about the stump.

Kopo who had been bored up to this point found the stump rather interesting. Or rather he found the hole at the base of the stump interesting. He had to look inside to see what was inside. Crawling down and wiggling his way under Kopo got himself inside the stump. Sadly he found nothing inside the stump beside rotting wood, bugs and a black pebble. Deciding he should at least take the pebble for his trouble Kopo reached for it to pick up. But once his stuffed animal hand got a hold of that pebble a vortex opened up around the ground below the tree stump.

Pokota, Amelia, Sylphiel and Kopo all landed with a big crash onto the hard stone stairs as the vortex closed.

"Where are we?" Amelia wondered as she tried to stand up.

In that second torches all started to light up all the way down the spiralling staircase walls revealing stone brickwork. It was clear they weren't in the forest anymore.

"We're in a staircase the probably leads to a lab." Sylphiel rationalized. "But we won't know whose it is until we get there. So let's continue on." She grabbed one of the torches on the wall and led the way while Kopo, Pokota and Amelia followed.


	19. Chapter 19

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Nineteen, The Energy Below

By Relm

The further own the winding staircase the more the chill in the air became present. The three humans shivered from the cold as they descended. The only one not affected was the stuffed animal koppi. Kopo was perched on Amelia's shoulder and sleeping to boot. He truly didn't seem to care about the cold or the potential danger they could come across.

Looking down into the abyss ahead of them it was hard to judge how far down the stairs went. All they could see was the faint spiral of torches that barely warded off the darkness enveloping them. It made the travellers feel like they were going down an endless path leading into the heart of darkness itself that would swallow them whole.

Sylphiel lead the way with a torch in hand that barely did anything to shed any light on their path. She tried to keep her mind on the task ahead of her but there were many things distracting her. The chill in the air, the deep darkness, that strange power that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end...

At the top of the stairs Sylphiel had felt something strange. It was a sort of energy that she just couldn't put her finger on. The power hadn't been initially concerning. It was just a faint afterthought. But as they descended the feel of the energy got stronger.

This power was what was making Sylphiel most nervous. Though there were many things in the world that emitted magical energy Sylphiel had her suspicion it wasn't an object but a living thing. And what was worse it appeared that it was at the bottom of the winding stairs they were currently descending.

Back when Sylphiel and Amelia had gone into Rezo the Red Priest's lab they had encountered one of the priest's 'guards'. Several beasts and creatures had originally been enslaved/trapped to protect that lab. So it wasn't a big leap to figure that this lab whether it be Eris or someone else's probably had a few creatures trapped inside to attack invaders.

Sylphiel probably should have voiced her concerns but instead she chose to keep her mouth shut. Pokota already had a lot of things to worry about and Sylphiel didn't wish to add to them. Plus there was no telling if it really was a living thing that Sylphiel was sensing. It could be a thousand different things so it didn't seem right to scare Amelia and Pokota needlessly.

"It feels like we've been walking for hours." Pokota complained breaking Sylphiel from her thoughts.

"Are you okay Pokota? Do you need a break?" Sylphiel wondered feeling instantly concerned for the Tarforashian prince.

"I'm okay, or as much as I have been lately. Just a little tired but I still go on." Pokota didn't mention just how much his lower back and right calve was hurting. It was almost the same kind of pain you felt when you woke up with a Charley horse. To most people it would have been a crippling pain but as Pokota had discovered these past few days his tolerance for pain was getting much higher.

"Well if you want to rest let us know. But here you should keep eating." Sylphiel handed Pokota more of the food she packed. She had every intention to keep Pokota eating. Food did seem to help and if she could do nothing else she could keep him fed.

"Thanks. I guess I'm just getting impatient. It doesn't seem like this staircase ends!" Pokota exclaimed exasperatedly.

"Hmm..." Amelia pressed her lips together in thought. She looked down at the darkness ahead of them and pondered it. With her arms held up she began to chant. _"Light which burns beyond crimson flame, let thy power gather in my hand! LIGHTING!"_ No light emerged from Amelia's hands. "Drat still can't cast magic..."

"You can't cast magic?" Sylphiel's eyes were wide with alarm. "It's your time of month?"

"Yeah..." Amelia mumbled.

"Amelia why didn't you tell me this before? This lab could be extremely dangerous! And given that we can't rely on Pokota for magic right now this makes things much worse!" Sylphiel felt the earlier nervousness churn into panic in her gut. "None of us are swordsmen either Amelia!"

"I thought I would have gotten my magic back by now..." Amelia replied sheepishly. "But you can cast magic too Miss Sylphiel!"

"Yes but white magic is my specialty. I'm still a novice when it comes to other areas." Sylphiel protested.

"You can cast the dragon slave, that itself makes you more than just a novice." Amelia countered.

"You're a shrine maiden and you can cast a dragon slave?" Pokota exclaimed in shock. He knew that Sylphiel was powerful but he had no idea how capable she was.

"Yes, and I know I can cast that one black spell well but it's not exactly something I could use safely in these conditions. We're underground!" Sylphiel rationalized.

"If you knew Amelia couldn't cast magic would you have still agreed to help us?" Pokota wondered feeling more and more like a bother by the second.

Sylphiel frowned. "I would have still agreed. However I would have made sure we were better prepared. Right now there aren't too many mages living in town but there are a few and some really proficient swordsmen. I could have asked one of them to come with us. But that doesn't matter now I guess. We're already here... so let's just proceed very cautiously. There could be many dangers up ahead."

"Like what?" Pokota wondered looking forward into the darkness ahead.

"Well besides potential structure stability issues we might not be alone." Sylphiel reminded them.

"Oh that's right! Master Rezo had creatures guarding his lab!" Amelia exclaimed recalling the time she and Sylphiel came across Tiba.

"Well if we were going to be faced with guards wouldn't we have encountered them at the beginning at the top of the staircase?" Pokota mused with a raised eyebrow.

"If they are meant to guard a specific thing in the lab they could be further ahead guarding it." Sylphiel pulled out her rod and handed it to Amelia.

Amelia blinked in confusion staring at Sylphiel's offering. "Why are you handing me your rod?"

"You can't cast magic, but I can. So at the very least you can use that as a weapon." Sylphiel rationalized.

"I don't need a weapon when I have the power of justice burning brightly through my body!" Amelia made a fist and punched the air.

Both Pokota and Sylphiel let out a sigh.

"Alright then why don't you give it to Pokota then?" Sylphiel suggested.

"Amelia what were you going to do with that light spell?" Pokota wondered as he took the rod from her.

"I was going to throw it down against a wall and watch it bounce its way down the staircase. To see a little more of the path ahead of us."

"Not a bad idea." Sylphiel concentrated her power into her hands. _"LIGHTING!" _Sylphiel casted without even chanting. A brilliant ball of light formed out of her hand and Sylphiel threw it ahead. It made a strange magical noise as it hit the brick wall and continued to sound as it bounced its way down. As it did so they saw they expected to see, bricks, bricks and more bricks. There were nothing special on the walls to give any sort of clue to whose lab they were in. The only noteworthy thing was the torches on the walls. Otherwise it was just stairs.

"Well that was a bust." Pokota mused right before the light spell stopped bouncing.

"Wait did it hit the end of the stairs? Or is it just too far for us to hear?" Amelia wondered.

"I'm sure we would have still heard it. We must be close to the end." Sylphiel announced.

With renewed vigour the trio (and sleeping Kopo) descending the stairs at a faster pace. As they kept going down they saw a bright light spilling into the staircase. It turned out to be Sylphiel's light spell.

The winding staircase led to a large room with several doors. More torches lined the walls lighting the room as well as a huge hanging candelabra hanging from the ceiling. There was a thick layer of dust and cobwebs lingering in the corners proving that this lab hadn't been visited in a while. But there was still nothing to signify whose lab it was.

"Wow look at the size of this place!" Pokota exclaimed looking around.

"Yeah it is pretty big. Master Rezo's was large too. Though it looked very different from this." Amelia mused.

Sylphiel was quiet as she looked around. Unlike Amelia and Pokota she wasn't wowed by the sight around her. The only thing that was occupying Sylphiel's mind was that magical energy she had sensed before. It was stronger, much stronger and it seemed like it was coming from behind one particular door. Looking at this door there was nothing about it that seemed special. It looked like the other doors in the room. In fact most of the doors seemed to have magical energy coming from behind them. But this door had much more of an abundance of energy.

"Which door do we choose?" Pokota asked while turning and looking at each door not seeing anything that stood out. "They all look the same."

"Give Miss Sylphiel back her rod so she can use her priestess skills to the pick the right door!" Amelia suggested very enthusiastically.

If Sylphiel hadn't been right before with the entrance Pokota might have had a snide comment to say to Amelia's request. But his limited time with Sylphiel had proven it was always good to trust the quiet shrine maiden. So he handed Sylphiel back her rod with a smile on his face.

Sylphiel nervously took her rod and did her thing. And the rod fell in the direction of that very door that Sylphiel didn't want to enter. "Better make sure, there's a lot of energies in this place." Sylphiel said with a sheepish laugh. She tried again and again and again. Each time it landed facing the same direction, that door.

"Well I guess we're going this way!" Amelia announced ready to go through the door.

Sylphiel gulp as she got back up onto her feet. 'Don't be scared, you can do this. You might not be Lina Inverse but you are a strong sorceress.' Sylphiel told herself hoping to abate her fear.

It didn't work.


	20. Chapter 20

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty, The Truth Hurts

By Relm

The door that Sylphiel didn't want to open appeared to not be opened itself. It appeared to be locked and no matter how hard they tried it wouldn't budge.

"Do you think it's just a normal lock or is it magically sealed?" Pokota wondered.

"Well if it's just a matter of it being locked Miss Sylphiel could unlock it with an unlock spell." Amelia mused still bubbling with excitement.

"That's true..." Sylphiel mumbled wishing that weren't the case. "If it's a magic seal then that won't work."

"Won't hurt to try right?" Amelia exclaimed with still perky attitude.

'It could hurt if it worked.' Sylphiel thought to herself as she brought her hand out to cast the spell. "_Unlock."_

Sylphiel's prayers weren't answered because the door responded to her spell making a very noticeable clicking sound.

"It worked!" Amelia cheered.

A less than enthusiastic Sylphiel stayed behind Amelia and Pokota as the pair went to open the door. Sylphiel had her hands up ready to quickly cast a protection spell in case there was danger ready to leap out at them.

Beyond the door a pale green light emerged spilling into the large chamber room. It was deathly silent with just a slight hum from whatever was causing the light.

Though initially filled with excitement about going through the door it escaped both Amelia and Pokota at that moment. For now they too were feeling the energy that Sylphiel had previous sensed.

"Something is in there." Pokota said quietly. It came out of his mouth in an almost whisper. Somehow speaking loudly at that moment didn't seem safe.

"But it's not evil though, right Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia looked to the shrine maiden with her eyes brimming with hope and fear.

"Let's proceed cautiously." Sylphiel half suggested half ordered. Though she didn't want to Sylphiel led the way into the room with her traveling companions following behind her.

There were many things cluttering the room that Sylphiel, Amelia and Pokota couldn't really recognize. There were normal things like a table, books, crystals, bottles but there was also a lot of mechanical looking things. Devices littered the table that had no clear purpose and obvious magically enchanted objects that had unknown symbols etched onto them. But the strangest thing off all was where the green light was coming from. It was a large tube like thing that propped against the wall on an angle. The tube appeared to be made of green crystal but it wasn't completely clear. With the cloudiness of the crystal and the light coming from it was hard to see what was inside the tube. All the threesome (and the sleeping Kopo) could tell was that there was some sort of shape being held in the crystal.

"What is this thing?" Amelia wondered as she inched closer to the tube.

"It looks like a stasis chamber." Pokota mused as he put his hand out to touch the crystal. As he expected it was cold to the touch. "Whoever built this was very proficient in magic and machinery. This makes it very likely that Rezo was involved in whatever this project was."

Sylphiel didn't comment she just looked at the tube very closely. It was easy for her to see that this was where the energy was. Either it was the magic energy keeping the person alive that Sylphiel was sensing or it was the person inside. All that Sylphiel could make out was a dark silhouette of a person. From the size Sylphiel assumed this wasn't a male thus making it not one of Rezo's koppis. Though it was never said Sylphiel was sure that Rezo had made several koppis of himself and not just the one that tried to used the demon beast/suit of armour Zanifar.

Given that Sylphiel didn't think it was a male (or at least an adult one) that meant that whoever was in the tube was either a female or a child. Which really made Sylphiel wonder who would be inside. Of course they had no way of knowing whose lab they were in. It could be anyone inside.

While Sylphiel was lost in thought Pokota was working on opening the tube.

"Pokota what are you doing?" Sylphiel exclaimed once she realized that Pokota was fiddling with the mechanics.

"Trying to open the tube so we can see who is inside." Pokota stated matter-of-factly.

"Why would you do that for?" Sylphiel screeched feeling very much afraid.

"Whoever this is will know whose lab we're in and maybe could help us with my problem." Pokota answered while still tinkering around.

"But the person in the tube could also be a dangerous person that will want to kill whoever lets them out!" Sylphiel countered.

"Or they could be happy we freed them from captivity and be gracious enough to help us!" Amelia countered seeing the positive side of things.

Sylphiel frowned. She realized she wasn't going to get through to either of them. So Sylphiel once again had her hands up ready to cast a spell if needed.

The machine hissed and shot out steam from the sides as Pokota managed to get it to open the tube chamber. The light that had once bathed the room with it's pale green glow dimmed and revealed who had been trapped into the chamber.

Laying against the back of the tube was a young woman with short spiky black hair and was wearing a long white robe. Her eyes were closed as she appeared to be sleeping.

"Oh my god..." Both Sylphiel and Amelia exclaimed under their breath.

"What?" Pokota looked between his two female companions curiously. "Who is that?"

"That's Miss Eris." Amelia whispered.

Pokota snapped his head back to the sleeping woman with much confusion. He had been told that Eris had been killed by Koppi Rezo so this woman couldn't be the person Amelia claimed her to be. So with that in mind that meant only one of two things. That he was looking was the real Eris and the woman that got killed by Koppi Rezo had been herself a koppi, or this was a koppi. Either way this was a good thing for Pokota as he had originally wished to talk to Eris. But did koppis retain all the knowledge of whom they were copied from?

Pokota was about to get that very answer as the sleeping woman in the white robe started to stir. The woman opened her eyes slowly proving that it really wasn't the real Eris. One of the woman's eyes was half green and half yellow while the other was completely white. "Why have you woken me?" She demanded with a very hoarse voice. It sounded as though the woman had a terrible cold and her throat was extremely sore and inflamed. She let out a horrible round of gut wrenching coughs to further support this assumption.

"I'm Prince Posel from Tarforashia, though most people call me Pokota." Pokota introduced himself. "This is Princes Amelia of Sailune and Sylphiel Nels Rada a shrine maiden of Siaraag."

The woman's eyes darted around the room till she spotted the slumbering doll currently resting on Pokota's shoulder. "What is that thing? It looks like a doll but it breathes as it sleeps."

"That is Kopo, and part of the reason why I'm here." Pokota explained. "Tell me are you Miss Eris?"

The woman let out a snort. "You can plainly see that I am not. I am just one of her failed experiments."

"You're one of Miss Eris' koppis." Sylphiel clarified.

"How are you a failed experiment? Look almost perfect, except Miss Eris' eyes were different." Amelia mused.

Koppi Eris eyed Amelia suspiciously. "So I take it you've met my maker. An evil little bitch isn't she? She made me and left me to rot. The only purpose I have was to be some stepping stone for her to help that damned crazy priest she's in love with. Rezo the Red priest." She snorted once more.

"Master Rezo is dead. He tried to fix his eyes by summoning Lord Shabranigdo but instead became a piece of the dark lord himself." Sylphiel explained recounting what she had been told by Lina and the others.

"Ha! I wouldn't have put it past him. He was getting pretty desperate. What about the bitch that made me? How did she handle it?"

"Not well. She tried to get revenge by using one of Master Rezo's koppis, but he killed her in the end." Sylphiel said in a very quiet voice.

Koppi Eris shook her head. "And I'm all that's left of her. A broken koppi. What a sad and pathetic existence she had."

"What do you mean by broken?" Pokota prompted her.

"Well the eyes are always a giveaway. If the eyes are wrong something is wrong with the koppi." Koppi Eris said bitterly. Looking at Pokota in the eyes she cracked a small smile. "But you would know that since you're a koppi too."

Pokota let out a sigh. "My original body was destroyed and my essence had been in that doll body until recently. I had tried to make a koppi of myself but the koppi had the mentality of a baby or a small child. An accident had our two bodies switched."

"And now you're having problems." Koppi Eris let out a laugh before going into another fit of coughs. "You're a defect just like me. Did you follow some rank amateur's notes or did you just try to wing it yourself?"

"No! Pokota used Master Rezo's notes himself!" Amelia was quick to defend her friend. Though she hadn't known the original Eris too well this Koppi was turning out to be a nastier and bitter version.

"If you used Rezo's notes you should have come up with a smarter koppi. What did you do use old blood or something?" Koppi Eris meant that as a dark joke but the look on the faces of people before her told her she hit the nail on the head. "Old blood... Not a good thing to use. It was at least preserved blood I assume?"

Pokota reluctantly shook his head.

"Old unpreserved blood... very bad thing to use. I take it beside the diminished mental capacity of your koppi friend you're noticing physical problems with the body? Like spurts of pain or sickness?"

Pokota nodded. "Pain, lots of pain at random times. I've gone blind a couple of times too."

"And you're here because you're hoping I might have an answer to help fix you." Koppi Eris prompted him.

"Well yes. We came here hoping this was Eris' lab and that we could find her notes to figure out what I did wrong and how to fix it." Pokota explained.

"You used old blood. Unless you are really really good at making koppis and know how to adjust for sample degradation then you'll never make a properly functioning koppi." Koppi Eris explained pretty much Pokota already knew.

"And?" Pokota prompted her.

"You can't be fixed." Koppi Eris voice was very serious. "You're going to die a horrible painful death."


	21. Chapter 21

_Author's Notes: Just like the last part Koppi Eris is going to use some more 'colourful' language. It's nothing too major but I feel like I should mention it. _

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-one, Acceptance and Denial 

By Relm

The room seemed to be spinning around Pokota. He couldn't breathe; the air had turned into mud. All he could do was stand there staring at the koppi of Eris with her stinging words reverberating through his head. "What...?" His voice was but a mere whisper as he stared at her with wide eyes.

Koppi Eris let out a dark laugh. "Oh come now what did you think was going to happen? You can't have been that stupid. You're dying. And nothing is going to change that."

Amelia's lips quivered as the tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "No... that can't be true! There has to be a way... Pokota can't die!"

Koppi Eris shook her head. "Once a koppi starts to degrade there is nothing you can do to stop it. Believe me I've tried." She stepped away from the stasis tube and limped her way over to one of the tables littered with strange objects.

"You're dying." Pokota clarified more for himself than for her.

Koppi Eris nodded. "Rezo went through many steps perfecting his koppi making process. Many failures were made. He must have made dozens of koppis that all died horribly. As I said the eyes are always the tell if there's something wrong. But if you're copying a person with defective eyes you can't tell if the koppi is wrong."

"Which is why Miss Eris made you." Sylphiel surmised.

"That's right." Koppi Eris declared bitterly. She snatched a bottle from the table, uncorked it and took a swig. She made a grimace was refused to spit out the dark liquid. Swallowing it Koppi Eris let out a satisfied shudder. "She tried something a little different with me. Still ended up wrong but I fared better than some of the other failures. I was dying but I wasn't as sick or weak as the other Koppi Rezos. So I got the joy and privilege of seeing what was going to end up happening to me."

"Did Miss Eris try to help you?"

Once again Koppi Eris let out a dark chuckle. "At first. I suppose she felt guilty. But her master beaconed her and she left me to do his bidding. It seems that Rezo wasn't too concerned with failures so he forgot about those in favor of trying to get the process right. He did eventually, not that it helped in the end." She took another swig of the bottle.

"So there's really nothing I can do?" Pokota asked in a small voice.

Koppi Eris shot him a sidewise glance. "If there was a way to fix a defective koppi's body then I would know it. I've tried just about everything to fix me. I've been through all of my original's notes as well the ones I have of Rezo's but it didn't help. I built the stasis chamber as a last resort. To keep me alive just in case my original did come to her senses and come back to fix me. However since the bitch is dead that doesn't matter."

"What things did you try? Maybe we can find something you did and see-" Amelia started to say.

"Look through the books yourself if you don't believe me." Koppi Eris interrupted Amelia. "You won't find anything that will help. And I'm not in the mood to go into a lengthily conversation about something that can't be changed." She turned to face Pokota. "I'm going to die. And so will you. The sooner you accept that the sooner you can let go of this awful pain of hope making you suffer."

Pokota's eyes shied away from Koppi Eris' darkly lit ones. He had invested so much hope into this plan that he felt like he wanted to cry. Koppi Eris harsh cold reality hit him like a ton of bricks. "I'm going to die..." He mumbled ready to fall on the ground and break into a million pieces.

Koppi Eris was going to let out another laugh until she spied another look at the slumbering stuffed animal creature. "How did you end up switching places with your koppi?"

"Rezo's Hellmaster jars." Pokota responded quietly.

"As in Hellmaster Phibrizzo?" Koppi Eris prompted him.

Pokota nodded. "Similar to the monster lord's power, they can transfer the soul of one body into another. And also a soul could be trapped in one once the body of the user dies. Rezo had left a few of them behind in Tarforashia."

Koppi Eris pressed her lips together in thought. "Well perhaps you can save yourself after all."

Pokota's eyes lit up as he looked up to meet Koppi Eris' once more. "How?"

"Find a fool and switch bodies with them." She said with a sinister glint to her eyes.

"I could never do that!" Pokota exclaimed in horror. To do such a thing would mean condemning a life to death. Pokota would end up committing murder.

"You already did. Isn't that how you got into this mess in the first place?" Koppi Eris was quick to point out smirking the whole time the words danced off her lips.

"That was an accident!" Pokota insisted.

"So you just happen to have some of those soul jars laying around to add to the decor?" She verbally poked at him.

"Alright, I had thought about it. But that was before the koppi was finished. And even then I was wrestling with the notion. Once Kopo came to be I never intended to switch our bodies!" He screamed at her.

"Kopo?" This notion made Koppi Eris laugh. "You named your little beast? So he's your pet then. How adorable. You made him though; you are his 'god'. And because you are god you could take his life as surely as you made it. Switch bodies with him. Take back that body he took from you."

"I couldn't! He'd die! I couldn't knowingly take another's life!" Pokota protested.

"You said he had diminished mental capacity, yes? He wouldn't know any better. You'd probably be doing him a favour, a mercy killing. What sort of life would he have anyway? Just a dumb beast." Koppi Eris concluded.

"I don't care! I will not kill him! It's wrong!" Pokota growled feeling more than just a little irritated with her.

"Very well then, you have two options. Live out your remaining time suffering or sleep in stasis like me." Koppi Eris mused as she turned back to her stasis tube. She re-powered up the machine and got ready to step back into it.

"Why bother? You're just delaying your death." Amelia wondered.

"Ah yes but dreams are far much kinder than reality. Take whatever books you want, but they won't help you. And don't wake me again unless you can fix me." And with that Koppi Eris went back to her slumber.

Pokota let out a heavy sigh. He had vested so much hope in finding Eris' lab that now he wasn't sure what do anymore. Was there really any point in hoping anymore?

"Pokota cheer up." Amelia pleaded with the Tarforashian prince. "We'll take the books back to Sylphiel's and look them over. I'm sure we'll find something Koppi Eris missed. There are three of us after all and just one of her."

"Yes that's right." Sylphiel agreed. "Just because she gave up doesn't mean you have to too."

Pokota smiled weakly at them. "I guess you're right." He mumbled. It was a nice thought but he just couldn't will his mind or heart to entertain it. But even though he might have given up he knew that he couldn't tell Amelia or Sylphiel that.

...

With all the books they could find in tow Amelia, Sylphiel, Pokota and the slumbering Kopo made their way out of the lab and back towards Sylphiel's. Given that they didn't want to waste much time Sylphiel opted to fly them all back to her house.

Once back at Sylphiel's house the threesome (and the sleeping stuffed animal creature) sat around Sylphiel's dining room table as they went through the books they acquired.

From time to time Sylphiel went into the kitchen to work on their dinner, stirring a pot or checking the oven but otherwise she as at it reading just like Amelia and Pokota.

As dinnertime came however it was getting clearer and clearer that Koppi Eris was correct. The books had nothing useful. Sure they gave a person the proper instructions on how to make a koppi but there was nothing about fixing a defective one. Another thing that Koppi Eris said was true; Rezo hadn't cared about the failures. Clearly had no interest in fixing them.

"Let's take a break and eat dinner. We can pick up where we leave off when we're finished." Sylphiel suggested while putting a book mark in the book she was reading and closed it.

"I don't think it matters. These books have nothing." Pokota grumbled unable to hide his disappointment any longer.

Both Amelia and Sylphiel frowned. They wanted to say something to help the dying prince but there wasn't anything more they could think of to say that hadn't already been said.

...

By the time it came to going to bed the trio had already finished reading all the books. Some of them were even read twice if not three times. It mattered little as they shed very little light onto the solution to their problem. Pokota was dying and there just didn't seem to be any way to stop it.

Sylphiel had provided Amelia and Pokota rooms to sleep in but Pokota didn't seem to be all the interested in sleeping. In those quiet dark hours of the night Pokota sat staring out one of Sylphiel's windows in the living room at the sky. There wasn't a vast array of twinkling lights to look at but a blanket of clouds. It wasn't a particularly interesting sight but Pokota wasn't really looking at any one specific part of the sky. He just let his vision blur as he look out and up. Staring at the brightness of a moon might have been to blame for the wateriness of his eyes but that was hardly the case given it was hidden amongst the clouds. Sitting alone in that dark room Pokota was trying to will himself not to cry. He was going to die. All he had wanted was a normal life. A chance to love and be loved.

Pokota thought about all his many regrets. Things he hadn't done in his life, things he had meant to do next. But there was no longer a next time, all there was now.

"Pokota?" A soft voice broke Pokota from his thoughts causing him to look in the direction of the sound.

Amelia timidly approached Pokota and sat down across from him.

Pokota let out a sigh before going back to looking outside.

"What are you doing still up?" Amelia wondered.

"I couldn't sleep." He admitted his voice very far away.

"You should try a little harder. You really need to get as much sleep as possible." Amelia chided in a motherly fashion.

"I doesn't matter does it? Nothing matters anymore..."

"Pokota please don't talk that way! We'll find a way to-"

"No." Pokota cut her off. "No Amelia I've got nothing left. I'm going to die and there's nothing you or I can do to stop it."

"Please don't think that way! I know Koppi Eris said that it was hopeless-"

"It is hopeless Amelia." Pokota corrected her. "You know I have so many regrets... So many things I wanted to do..."

"You can still do them. Because you're not going to die!" Amelia insisted fighting back the tears that were threatening to spill.

Pokota looked at Amelia's face and smiled a sad smile. "You know what my biggest regret is?" He asked her ignoring her previous outburst.

Amelia shook her head. She couldn't answer because she was afraid her voice would betray her and the tears would surely fall.

"I've never kissed a girl." Pokota admitted too depressed to even muster up a blush. Regular non-dying Pokota would have been too embarrassed to announce such a thing but this dying one cared little about silly trivialities. "Amelia... could I make a dying request? Could you... kiss me?"

This broke Amelia and she choked on one of her sobs. "Pokota you aren't going to die! Please stop saying that!" She pleaded with him desperately.

"It's hard to believe you when you have tears in your eyes." Pokota said sadly. "Amelia may I have my request?"

Amelia violently shook her head. "No. No, no, no, no! You are not going to die! You can kiss me when you're healed." She insisted while angrily trying to wipe away her tears.

"I'd love to, but you and I know that won't happen... Please Amelia...?" He pleaded with the saddest desperate stare a boy could give a girl.

Amelia's bottom lip trembled. "Fine, but only if you go to your room and try to sleep afterwards." She insisted.

Pokota nodded and closed his eyes. Though the situation was a gloomy one Pokota couldn't help but feel his heart beat just that much faster at the thought of not only kissing by a girl but a pretty princess to boot.

Amelia tried to silence and halt her tears as she leaned forward to press her lips to Pokota's but the tears still freely fell. His lips were soft and warm against hers and just as shy. The kiss was tender but chaste and bathed with their combined tears. Such a bittersweet moment so full of pain and longing. Longing to cling to hope and to forget that this kiss wasn't a dying man's wish but an innocent first.

Pokota tenderly touched Amelia's face when she broke the kiss. He wiped those tears from her face and kissed her again on the forehead. "Goodnight Amelia." He said softly.

"Goodnight Pokota." Amelia whispered. She held onto his hand for a moment not wanting to let it go. But as Pokota rose to leave she let his hand slip away from her grasp and watched him leave. Once Pokota was completely out of sight Amelia broke down into gut wrenching sobs. What good was it to be a champion of justice when you couldn't even help the people you cared about? Never before had Amelia felt like such a failure. It broke her heart in so many ways but what could she do? How do you save a dying man?

_(Author's Notes: When I had started this fic I had visions of the kiss scene in my head. Though when I originally pictured it the kiss was going to happen in Sailune and it sounded much better in my head. Am I happy with how this part turned out? Yes and no. I don't know if I conveyed enough of the angst and pain Pokota and Amelia are going through. But still I love the bittersweet tragic unfluffy Pokota/Amelia romance.)_


	22. Chapter 22

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-two, Ruminations

By Relm

Laying in bed that night Pokota couldn't sleep. Many thoughts were dancing around his head. Almost all of them were unpleasant and even the nicest of them all left Pokota feeling hopeless.

He had begged Amelia to kiss him. And she had kissed him. There had been tears in her eyes and they had mingled with his. He dreamt about what a first kiss might be like but he had never expected it to be like that. But who assumes that their first kiss was going to be their last?

She had held onto his hand afterwards. He hadn't wanted to let go. But he had promised her he would try and sleep. Not that he could. There was just too much on his mind to. Amelia kissing him had opened Pandora's box. Wondering about something you were missing wasn't nearly as bad knowing what you're never going to have. He knew what a kiss felt like. Granted it hadn't been a happy one but that didn't stop him from wanting to kiss her again.

Amelia was beautiful, Pokota was absolutely certain that. Most would say Amelia was cute on the count of petite stature but to Pokota she was more than that. He hadn't just realize how pretty Amelia was until all this mess happened. Long dead feelings had been revived inside of him. These zombie feelings were cause for so much pain. You couldn't mourn the loss of things you didn't even entertain having. He had gotten a taste of it and now he was starving to death. Living as a doll hadn't been living. How ironic to finally start living when you were dying.

He couldn't even daydream about a romantic future with Amelia. He just didn't have the time left. Sure he could demand or beg more of Amelia in his last few days but that wasn't fair. Could he really put Amelia through all that pain for fleeting selfish comfort?

And those were the 'good' thoughts.

The bad ones stormed around his head crashing like the tide on a rock face. He was going to die. And he had wasted what precious time he had chasing after a false hope, a wild goose chase. It was no longer a matter of what do next but where he planned to die.

Could he last long enough to make the trip home? Was there any point in trying? Or should he just spend his remaining days in the homeland of his ancestors?

If he chose to die in New Siaraag then his body would have to be moved after his death to Tarforashia. He was to be buried next to his mother that Pokota was adamant about. His memories of his mother were so few but he knew he had loved her greatly. It didn't seem right to be buried anywhere else. But if he chose to die then who would take his body home? That wasn't a thing you could openly ask of just anyone. And even though he knew would do it Pokota didn't want to ask Amelia. He had already put her through so much pain he didn't want to add more to it. She had been so good to him. Amelia had been his one ray of sunshine through this otherwise bleary endless nightmare.

If angels walked this earth Pokota was sure they would look exactly like Amelia.

He wasn't going to ask Amelia. Hell he wanted to forbid her from doing so. But he knew she'd do it anyway. Amelia wouldn't trust just anyone to take the body of her friend home. Even if it was against Pokota's wishes. She would bare that burden like so many others. The angelic saint Amelia.

Pokota's mind was very cloudy with dark thoughts but even still his body could only stay awake for so long. He wasn't even sure how long it had been when he woke. Sleep had crept up on his and he wasn't even sure how. He didn't remember falling asleep. When he closed his eyes for the briefest of seconds it had been night but when he opened his eyes the smallest rays of the morning sunshine were spilling into his room.

Kopo was snoring very loudly from his spot on the right side of the bed. The little stuffed animal had grabbed most of the blankets and wrapped himself up in them. This was confusing to Pokota as Kopo hadn't been sleeping in his room before he had closed his eyes. And given by how relaxed Kopo was in his slumber the stuffed animal had been sleeping in the room for quite some time.

He didn't dwell on the passing of time to much; Pokota rose out of his bed despite how much his body didn't want to. Pokota was quite as he could as he got out of bed. Though normally the companionship of his 'pet' was a welcome thing at this moment Pokota just couldn't bare it.

The morning was still so fresh and new, much too early to be up and about. Pokota didn't linger around his room or the house waiting for Sylphiel and Amelia to rise; he was out the door as fast as his weakened body would let him.

Pokota had no destination in mind; this had been his first trip to Siaraag after all. He just seemed to walk the dirt streets letting the wind guide him. Though his mind lack finality on where to go his body had a direction to follow. It knew where Pokota had to go.

Even as he reached his destination Pokota still wasn't sure why he was there. He had ended up a little ways outside of the town near a seemingly barren patch of uneven earth. The soil looked freshly turned as though the area had been earmarked for crops. However, only a single plant appeared to have been planted in the middle of the vast area. The sapling was dwarfed by the area it had been afforded but Pokota didn't find this odd one bit. He recognized the sapling as soon as his tired eyes rest on it.

Back when Sylphiel had come to Tarforashia to help aid with the sick Pokota's father had given the shrine maiden a seed. It was one of the few seeds from the original holy tree Flagoon that royal family of Tarforashia had handed down through the generations. The Tarforashian king had been grateful for those that helped and was greatly touched by Sylphiel's life story. The King had given Sylphiel the seed just in case the shrine maiden ever wanted to try and rebuild Siaraag once more.

Given that Sylphiel had decided to do just that it wasn't a surprise that she had planted the seed. And if Pokota were to guess then he would say that this area was the area that Flagoon once grew and flourished.

With all the miasmic energy poisoning the area from Rezo's destroyed lab this sapling would do the New Siaraag city some good. Absorbing all the bad energy making room for prosperity. This new Flagoon could be a beacon of hope for all those who chose to settle roots in the previously ruined city.

But this would be a small beacon. This tiny Flagoon baby wasn't growing near as fast as the one near Sailune. There was no rotting Zanifar corpse to absorb here. And though there was much energy in the soil and air from Rezo's lab it would take much time for the saplings roots to grow large enough to extend and absorb all that evil. The ground it was growing in was problematic too. It had once been home to the first holy tree. Most of the nourishment had been leached away leaving the ground almost barren like. Even still the sapling was still growing. It would take hundreds of years for it to be even just a shadow of its mother tree but this sapling will flourish.

No matter what the future of holy tree would be it still didn't explain why Pokota had felt compelled to go near the sapling. But that's how holy trees operate. They had a way of drawing the conflicted and sad to their branches and roots. As if just gazing upon the foliage could draw out all the pain and suffering within a person like the evil out of the ground.

If Pokota were at home in the sort of state he was in now he for sure would have been drawn to his holy tree looking for answers and peace of mind. Perhaps this sapling was too small to be effective because Pokota was feeling more lost than ever.

...

When Amelia woke that morning she did so with a start. She had been having a horrible nightmare that left her choking on a soundless scream. Her heart was pounding and sweat dripped down the sides face. Sylphiel was hovering over her with a troubled look on her face.

"Amelia are you okay?" Sylphiel's voice was soft and comforting as she wiped some of the sweat from Amelia's brow.

"What happened?" Amelia mumbled in confusion.

"You were having a nightmare." Sylphiel explained. "You must have been thrashing around because you knocked over a lamp. I heard the crash and came running in. Thank the gods the lamp wasn't lit. Otherwise this whole room would be on fire."

"I'm sorry." Amelia apologized looking down at the white bedding and away from Sylphiel's concerned eyes.

"No need to apologize. Nightmares happen even when you're not dealing with extra stress. It's nothing to be ashamed off. And right now you've got stress in spades." Sylphiel reassured her.

"It's nothing compared to what poor Pokota is going through."

Sylphiel nodded. "I'm going to go check up on him and start breakfast. Why don't you wash up and help me in the kitchen? I'm sure Pokota would enjoy a nice large breakfast."

"Okay. I'll be down there soon." Amelia smiled at Sylphiel as she watched the shrine maiden leave the room.

Amelia was just getting dressed when she heard Sylphiel's distressed voice.

"Amelia?" Sylphiel called out as she came back into Amelia's room.

"What is it Miss Sylphiel?"

"Pokota, he's not in his room. He's not in the house at all!"

...

Though Pokota could have been anywhere at that moment Sylphiel was hopeful that she knew where he had gone. She put herself in his shoes and thought about where she would go if she was upset. With that reasoning Sylphiel lead Amelia and Kopo to where she had planted the Flagoon seed.

To Sylphiel and Amelia's relief Pokota was standing there looking at the sapling.

"Pokota there you are! You had us worried! You weren't at the house when we woke up." Amelia exclaimed racing up behind him.

Pokota heard Amelia but failed to turn around to face her. He just continued to stare at the sapling. "Sorry." He mumbled.

"Why did you take off like that?" Sylphiel wondered.

Pokota shrugged. "I needed to clear my head."

Sylphiel nodded and looked to the sapling they were facing. "When I was a little girl I would often go to Flagoon when I was upset. Holy trees have a way of drawing you in like that. But we should get back to the house. We'll have breakfast and go over the books again."

Pokota shook his head. "No. I'm not doing to do that."

"What do you mean Pokota?" Amelia asked with worry spilling into her voice. She thought she had cried all the tears she had the night before but as she stood there staring at Pokota she felt her eyes start to water again.

"I've made a decision." Pokota's voice was grave as a laboured sigh escaped his lips.

"What decision? Of what we're going to try next?" Amelia prompted him hoping against hope that Pokota wasn't going to say what she thought he was going to say.

"No Amelia. I'm dying. Nothing is going to change that. But I don't want to die here or some random place. I want to die in Tarforashia. I want to go home." Pokota turned around to look at his friends with a solemn yet adamant expression on his face.


	23. Chapter 23

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-Three, Another Path

By Relm

"No..." Amelia's voice was weak and small. It didn't matter how many tears she had shed it seemed that her eyes still had more. The shock of Pokota's words cut her like a knife and her eyes responded accordingly. Fresh hot tears welled up making Amelia feel like she was being choked. He was giving up. Pokota was lying down to die. Things were hopeless but Amelia couldn't believe that Pokota would give up like that.

Pokota hated looking at Amelia at that moment. He never wanted to be the one to cause her so much pain but there he was doing it. "Yes Amelia. It's time to let it go. I'm not going to magically find a cure. It's over. My time is up."

"No..." It was all Amelia could say. The tears were rolling down her cheeks now. She had no control over them.

Amelia wasn't the only one upset. Yes Sylphiel was distressed but whatever pain the two women were facing was completely overshadowed by the koppi who inhabited Pokota's former doll body.

Kopo didn't seem to have a good understanding what people were saying around him. Though he didn't need to know human language to see what was going on. His 'master' had given up and was getting ready to die. This didn't sit well with the stuffed doll. With a combination of both sadness and rage Kopo jumped off Amelia's shoulder and dashed off.

"Kopo!" Pokota called out. "Come back!"

The stuffed doll refused to answer, he just kept running.

Though Pokota was going through his own problems at that moment he couldn't help but feel compelled to run after his 'pet'. Pokota had clearly caused this pain and Pokota didn't want anything to happen to his little friend. So ran after him Pokota did along with Sylphiel and Amelia.

"Kopo! Where are you going?" Amelia called out as they raced after him.

Kopo didn't answer hell he didn't even look back. Knowing that he was being followed seemed to make the doll move faster.

'Where is he going?' Pokota wondered to himself as he struggled to keep up. At first it didn't appear that Kopo had a destination in mind. It looked more the stuffed animal was just running aimlessly. However the more they chased after him the more clear it was the Kopo was leading them somewhere. He'd slow down when the others had to catch up and only sped up when he knew they were following.

"Where is he going Miss Sylphiel?" Amelia asked while huffing.

"I don't know!" Sylphiel admitted. The direction they were heading was not in the direction of Old Siaraag or the miasma forest. It was still near the more northern part of Siaraag but east of Old Siaraag. In fact they went further than the confines of both old and new Siaraag to an overgrown area of forest Sylphiel rarely visited.

With no trail to follow Sylphiel, Amelia and Pokota found themselves hiking, climbing and almost tripping over things to try and keep up with Kopo. It was really starting to get a bit much and the trio was almost ready to give up until they noticed that Kopo had stopped.

"Kopo what are you doing?" Pokota scolded his little friend as and the others approached the stuffed animal.

Kopo sat perched on a tree stump that was rooted into some very uneven rocky land. There were massive cracks on the ground below them making it look it could crumble under them.

"Miss Sylphiel what's so special about this area that Kopo wanted to come here?" Amelia wondered as she nervously stepped towards Kopo.

"I have no clue. As children we were always told to stay away from here. There are caverns underground which makes the land unstable. It was said that people have died coming through here because the ground gave way under them. I always thought it was just a myth but I still never came here." Sylphiel admitted. "But lots of children from town still used to play here and nothing bad happened to them... until Koppi Rezo destroyed Siaraag."

"Kopo get over here!" Pokota motioned for his pet to come back towards them.

Kopo shook his head and stomped his foot on the stump. The ground shook below them giving credence to Sylphiel's childhood warnings.

"Kopo please come over here!" Sylphiel pleaded feeling very frightened. Even as a child the area didn't look this bad. 'After those battles Miss Lina had with Koppi Rezo and Hellmaster Phibrizzo it must have made the land worse.' "It's not safe in this place!"

Still the stuffed animal creature refused to obey.

"I'm sorry Kopo! But you have to face facts. No one lives forever and my time is almost up. I know I upset you but please don't do this!" Pokota pleaded with him. "Forget this I'm just going to go get him myself!" He declared stomping forward.

"Pokota no!" Both Sylphiel and Amelia cried out trying to stop the Tarforashian prince. But it was too late. The ground shook violently under them as the cracks got bigger. The whole earth seemed to open up and swallow them.

"_PROTECTION! LEVITATION!_" Sylphiel quickly casted while grabbed Amelia, Pokota and Kopo. Though she was quick she wasn't quick enough to prevent them from ending up in the pit below.

"Is everyone alright?" Amelia asked while coughing on the dust in the air.

"I think so..." Pokota mumbled as he got to his feet. "What happened?"

"You made the ground collapse." Sylphiel explained. While pointing to the towering pile of rocks behind them. "It was unstable after all."

"What is this place?" Amelia looked around in confusion.

Pokota and Sylphiel also looked around. Though there was much ruble around them it was very clear they weren't in just a random cavern. From what little light that beaming through the cracks in the pile of rocks behind them they could make out a bit of what was ahead of them. It appeared they were in a tunnel of some sorts that was supported with old brickwork and wooden beams and the floor was a crumbling mess of cobblestones.

Kopo seemed pleased with himself and was hoping on the cobblestones. There didn't seem to be a particular pattern to Kopo's hops, except that he just appeared to be avoiding the cracks.

"It looks like someone made this cavern into a tunnel of some sorts." Sylphiel mumbled while looking around at the some of the symbols on the walls.

"A tunnel to what?" Pokota wondered looking down the seemingly endless darkness ahead of them. It was hard to tell how far the tunnel went or what was at the end of it. "Did you know this was down here?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "No. But by the looks of the condition of this place I'd say it's been like this for a long time. Maybe these aren't natural caverns running under Siaraag but a network of tunnels made by whoever built this support structure."

"Do you think there could be another lab around here?" Amelia asked while pointing to one of the symbols. "I don't recognize these symbols but they are emitting some magical energy."

Sylphiel shrugged. "Possibly... Old Siaraag was a magical hub for the demon peninsula in the old days... Many sorcerers and sorceresses were drawn to here."

Pokota frowned. He had no idea why Kopo wanted to come to this area but a small part of him was clinging to a hope that maybe that this tunnel was the reason. That maybe the small stuffed animal knew something Pokota didn't and that the answer to solving all of Pokota's problems lay ahead of them. Pokota didn't like this ray of hope sprouting up within him. It had been hard to come to terms with his impending death. Clinging to hope no matter how big or small was just too painful. That and this hope was very small and very pathetic. Kopo wasn't a psychic or had any special intuitive powers. The stuffed animal was just upset and stormed off. The fact that they ended up in a strange tunnel was just a coincidence. "It doesn't matter if there's a lab ahead of us. The important thing is how are we going to get out of here?"

Amelia frowned at Pokota. "But Pokota what if there is a lab ahead that holds the cure to your condition? Would you really turn your back on that when we could be that close to a solution?" She prodded him hoping to get some spark of life in Pokota's eyes once more. It killed her inside knowing how hopeless everything had become. Clinging to a hope, even a small one was far better than knowing that Pokota had no future. That her friend was destined to die a painful death.

"I don't know..." Pokota mumbled feeling that tug of hope trying to leach into his soul.

"As much as I would like to agree with you Amelia I don't think it's a good idea to stay here." Sylphiel voiced her opinion. "This area is unstable as we've already experienced and if we stay down here for too long the ceiling could come crashing down on us."

"But Miss Sylphiel!" Amelia whined. "Don't you want to know what's ahead of us?"

"Can you cast magic yet?" Sylphiel prompted her.

Amelia concentrated with her hands held out in front of her. "_Light which burns beyond crimson flame, let thy power gather in my hand! LIGHTING!_" A ball of light formed from Amelia's hands. It wasn't that bright nor was it that large but at least it was something.

Sylphiel however wasn't impressed. "Well given the size of that light spell I'd say you wouldn't be able to put up a protection spell or shield that we would need if the tunnel collapsed."

Amelia's light spell fizzle as well as her demeanor. "So are we really giving up then?"

"I said it's not a good idea but if Pokota really wants to explore then I won't stand in the way." Sylphiel looked to Pokota.

Pokota let out a sigh. He didn't like this position he was put into. "Well... I think... we should just find a way to get out of here. It doesn't matter if this place could have the cure to my condition. If the tunnel collapses and kills us then it makes the cure moot. And as much as I want to live I don't want to end up getting any of you killed in the process."

Amelia frowned and bit her tongue. She had a mouthful of protests just threatening to spill out but she knew she couldn't say any of them. "If that's what you really want..."

"It is." Pokota said with an air of finality that had just a touch of regret.

"Alright let's see if we can move of these rocks to make an opening." Sylphiel said turning her attention back to the rubble behind them.

Seeing all of his 'humans' turning their backs on what was ahead didn't sit well with the little stuffed animal koppi. Kopo stomped his foot rather loudly and then stormed off into the darkness ahead.

"Kopo what the hell are you doing now?" Pokota looked on in disbelief. "Come back here!"

Like he had been doing since the holy tree Kopo didn't listen. He just kept on going.

"Looks like Kopo wants to explore!" Amelia exclaimed in a somewhat happy sing song voice.

Pokota frowned. He didn't want to put Sylphiel or Amelia at risk but he sure as well wasn't going to leave his 'creation' behind either. "I'm going after him." He declared.

"Then we may as well all go then." Sylphiel concluded. "Maybe we'll find a way out on the other end."

"I hope so..." Pokota mumbled thinking about more than just a way out.


	24. Chapter 24

_Author's Notes: Busy week/weekend meant that I ended up having to rush myself writing this. (got it done with little time to spare!) So I didn't have time to proof read it. As usual please just ignore any major grammar errors. I am human after all._

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-Four, In Hues of Blue

By Relm

As the trio followed after the stuffed animal Sylphiel casted a light spell to light the way and cut through some of the darkness. Much was still dark ahead of them so it made it hard to distinguish what was in front of them. They saw more strange symbols adorning the walls as they walked but still none of them were something they recognized. There also seemed to be more symbols to see per area too. Kopo was still far ahead of them and impossible to see but so far it had been just a straight path so there wasn't anywhere else he could have ran off to.

"Where do you think this leading to?" Amelia wondered as she looked around. All the magic energy from the symbols on the walls were starting to make her feel dizzy.

"Well whatever it leads to I think we might be getting there pretty soon by the looks of the walls." Sylphiel observed.

"I still don't recognize these symbols." Pokota mused looking at the walls.

"They must be really old." Amelia observed. "Maybe this place has been around since the days of Old Siaraag."

"I wouldn't doubt it." Sylphiel agreed.

As they continued to walk forward a light started to appear further down the tunnel. The closer they got the brighter the light became. It eventually got to the point that the light bled into the walls lighting up all the symbols on the walls.

Kopo stood at the end of the tunnel waiting impatiently tapping his foot.

"What the hell...?" Pokota mumbled as he and the others finally got to the end.

Before the trio stood the widest tallest doors they had ever seen. They were impossibly large as though they were made for a giant and not a human sized person. There were symbols all over the door and like the walls they glowed in a pulsating hum like the heartbeat of a living thing.

"Wow..." Sylphiel looked up at the doors feeling just a bit dizzy.

"I haven't seen doors these big since I was at that golden dragon temple." Amelia said in awe.

"Could this had been made for a dragon?" Pokota wondered out loud.

"Possibly. Dragons did roam these lands before the war of the monster's fall." Sylphiel concluded putting her hand to the door. Even through gloves Sylphiel could feel the power of the glowing symbols course through the material to her fingertips, into her arm and down her spine. It tingled all the way making Sylphiel feel light headed and giddy. She should have been concerned about what was possibly behind those doors. When they had been in Eris' lab Sylphiel had been worried about what horrible things they would be facing. But this time however Sylphiel didn't seem to be as worried. The strange flow of energy had a calming sensation on Sylphiel making her feel at ease.

"How do we open the doors? There's no knobs." Amelia wondered as she tried to push the door open. Either the doors were locked or just too heavy for Amelia to move.

"Magic probably. Miss Sylphiel could you try that unlocking spell again?" Pokota requested after he too tried to open the door.

"_Unlock." _Sylphiel's voice was so and slight as she cast the spell.

A loud click noise sounded in response to Sylphiel's voice and the doors slowly opened. All the energy flowing through the symbols on the doors and walls dissipated leaving the tunnel bathed once more in darkness. A new light sliced through the dark coming from the other side of the doors. It was so bright that it blinded the trio. Only Kopo didn't seem affected by it. The stuffed animal creature just ran through the doors as soon as they were open.

"That's so bright!" Pokota grumbled as he shielded his eyes.

Sylphiel and Amelia were also hiding from the light. It took the trio a good couple minutes to adjust to the light before they had a chance to see what was in front of them.

Beyond the doors the trio was greeted by the sight of hundreds and hundreds of books. Etched into the stone and dirt walls were shelves that were completely crammed with all kinds of books and ancient texts. And if that weren't enough there were books all over all the tables and chairs in the massive open area.

Besides the books all the other the place there were all kinds of crystals, glass beakers, powders, jarred specimens and dried herbs and roots littering the tables. Parchments also were thrown about on the tables with big ink stains from the old ink wells that had tipped over spilling all over the place. It was clear that someone was using this place as a lab.

The strange light that filled the room as it turned out was coming from the underground river that was flowing through the middle of the space. Flowing water glowed a pale blue light bathing the room completely in its serine hues.

"What is this place?" Amelia wondered out loud as she looked around.

"I think I better question is why does that water glow in the dark?" Pokota mumbled as he walked over to the strange luminescent liquid kneeled down to see it better. He had to fight the urge to dip his fingers into the flowing water. It was so pretty and he could sense the magic.

Kopo also seemed to be transfixed by the water. He just sat there at the water's edge looking at his reflection in the glowing liquid.

"I have no idea why the water is glowing but what I can say is I'm pretty sure we're in someone's lab." Sylphiel mused flipping through some of the books before her. She couldn't read most of what she saw, the languages were very old. "And I'd say that this lab probably existed before the fall of Old Siaraag. Though I have no idea whose it was."

"Maybe it belonged to him." Amelia stated while pointing to the wall.

It was one area that didn't have a book shelve etched into the surface. This part of the wall held a massive painted portrait of a very powerful looking man dressed in robes.

"Oh my god!" Sylphiel gasped while covering her mouth with her hand in shock.

"What is it? Who is that?" Pokota asked while getting up to look at the painting closer. In the back of his mind he knew the likeness was familiar but he just couldn't place who it was. Pokota had to wonder if it was the case of a poor memory of his deteriorating condition was the cause.

"That's Lei Magnus." Sylphiel said in a hushed whisper. Suddenly she felt like she was trespassing on sacred ground.

"No way, this can't be Lei Magnus' lab!" Pokota protested not believing it for a second.

"I think it is Pokota." Sylphiel admitted. "All the books I've picked up so far have been in old dead languages I can't read at all! And this place is very old with a painting of Lei Magnus hanging on the wall."

"It could just be the lab of someone who idolized Lei Magnus and had a painting of him put up on the wall." Pokota argued.

"Who cares whose lab this is?" Amelia butted. "This is a lab and a really old one! We might find something we can use to help cure you Pokota!"

Pokota turned around and eyed that mysterious glowing river. Before anyone could stop him Pokota ran to the water and dipped his hand into the cool liquid and brought it to his lips.

"POKOTA!" Both Sylphiel and Amelia screeched.

"You don't know what that will do to you!" Amelia screamed in horror.

Sylphiel had her hands ready to cast a healing spell.

Pokota's eyes lit up as the glowing liquid travelled down his throat. "That's... delicious!" He went in for another scoopful but this time Sylphiel and Amelia stopped him.

"Pokota... how do you feel?" Sylphiel asked while looking him the eyes.

"I feel... fine. Great even! The pain is gone!" Pokota exclaimed once that fact dawned on him. "This water... it heals!"

"It cured him?" Amelia's eyes were in wide in shock. "That's fantastic!" She grabbed onto Pokota tightly embracing him in a big hug. Kopo also joined in and hugged both Amelia and Pokota.

Though the others were happy and excited Sylphiel couldn't stop frowning. She kept thinking back to what Koppi Eris has said. '_The eyes are always the tell if something is wrong.' _It stands to reason that if Koppi Eris was right and Pokota's mismatched coloured eyes was proof that his body was defective then his eyes should change to a what they are supposed to be if Pokota was cured. But as Sylphiel looked at Pokota's smiling face they only she could see was that the Tarforashian prince's eyes were still not the same colour. "I don't... I don't think you're cured Pokota." She stated sadly.

"But he said the pain is gone!" Amelia protested feeling her previous joy start to deflate.

"His eyes are still not right." Sylphiel pointed out.

Pokota detangled himself from Amelia and Kopo's grasp and looked over at himself in the reflection in the glowing water. It was hard to see with the glowing blue hues but Pokota eventually saw was Sylphiel meant. His eyes were still two different colours. "She's right." Pokota mumbled feeling worse than when Koppi Eris had told him he was going to die. 'How could I let myself get my hopes up again?' He berated himself.

"I don't understand!" Amelia cried out with tears reforming in her eyes. "So what if his eyes are still not the same? Pokota isn't feeling any pain, he must be cured!"

Sylphiel shook her head. "This water is no doubt magical in nature. It probably has some healing properties to it but it isn't a cure for Pokota's problem." She put a hand on Pokota's shoulder and concentrated. "I sense a little bit of a change but Pokota's body is still unraveling."

"So the water only delays the inevitable." Pokota let out a sad sigh.

"But that is a good thing though." Sylphiel said softly with renewed hope. "If you keep drinking the water it will keep your body together longer. So it should buy you some time. And we're going to need it if we're going to make heads or tails over all these books. I'm sure the answer is here Pokota."

Pokota looked over at the books, notes and other magical items. Even if this wasn't the lab of Lei Magnus it was clearly a follower of the great sorcerer. There could be all kinds of dangerous and incredible things to be found in this lab. And though he hadn't wanted to let that pesky sprout of hope grow in his heart he just couldn't help but agree with Sylphiel. "I'd be a fool to ignore the possibilities. And even if the water only buys me a little time it's more time than I had to start off with." He took another sip of water and got up.

Amelia grinned from ear to ear as she stood up. Tears were still streaming down her face but she was happy. Pokota might not be out of the woods yet but at least he was willing to try and get out and not lie down and die. "That's the spirit! We'll keep searching and light of justice will surely shine down on us!"

As the trio sat themselves at one of the tables and started to go through the books they failed to notice the plume of dust trail down in the wake of the occasional rock that fell from the ceiling.


	25. Chapter 25

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-five, Be'N-Tea O'r Mla

By Relm

Being underground with only a river of blue water as their light source it was hard for the trio and stuffed animal creature to tell exactly what time of the day it was. How long had they been down there in the lab? Was it minutes, hours, days...? How much time had really passed?

In the end it didn't really matter. The stuffed animal creature was napping and the trio was too focused on their task at hand to be concerned with trivialities such as where the sun or the moon was currently up in the sky. There was too many books to go through, far too many books.

In order to make things easier on them they sorted the books into three piles. One pile was books they could read. The next pile was books they couldn't read but appeared to potentially be relevant to Pokota's plight. The last pile was books deemed useless as they could not be read and they appeared to be about topics that didn't pertain what the matter at hand. Now these books were possibly treasures in their own right but the trio hadn't the time or effort to really try seeing their value.

Sadly this last pile of books that was deemed useless was the biggest of the three piles. And it was growing with each passing minute. The smallest of the tree piles was the one of books they could actually read. Given that Sylphiel, Pokota and Amelia were all scholarly they each knew languages the others didn't so in theory the first pile should have been much larger. But as it turned it out this lab was clearly much older than they had first thought. Many of the books were written in ancient dead languages. Too old to even guess what they were.

"I think this book is in elfin." Amelia mused. "Miss Sylphiel can read this one?"

Sylphiel peered over from the book she was currently looking at to try and get a good look at what Amelia was holding out in her hands. "It is elfin but that looks like Sa-al' S-ae dialect to me. I can recognize it but I can't read that one."

Amelia let out a sigh and put the book down. She didn't even bother showing Pokota the book. The Tarforashian prince had already stated that the only dialect of elfin he knew was Mlae'sh. So the book went into the useless pile like so many others that Amelia had picked up.

Pokota himself wasn't having much luck. Only one out of ten books was ones he could read and even then those ones didn't seem to have anything useful. They were interesting books that he was sure that any sorcerer or sorceress would love to get their hands one but not helpful to him. This was one of the reasons why Pokota was having so much trouble concentrating on the task at hand. His mind wanted to wander to other places instead of trying to make sense of the chicken scratch on the pages before him. One of the places Pokota's mind wanted to wander to was the glowing cerulean hues of the river flowing in the center of the lab. The strange albeit delicious water had quelled his pain making him feel almost normal again. Though that in itself was a bit of laugh.

After spending so much time trapped in the body of a stuff animal it was hard for him to remember exactly what being normal was supposed to feel like. But at the very least he felt as good as he did when his soul had been first placed in the koppi's body.

The effects of the water seemed miraculous but it was cruelly temporary. Slowly the pain began to ebb back into Pokota's muscles and bones. If he had an hour glass he would have timed how long a sip would last him. As it was he didn't so he found himself taking an occasional sip here and there as he went through the books. He had been quite tempted at the start to just continuously drink the water but the logical side of him won out on that one. Though the water did seem to be helping Pokota didn't have any way to know for sure it was doing just that. Just because it was relieving the pain didn't mean that it was healing the cause of it. Still Pokota filled a couple canteens with the glowing water for later use.

Even if the trio could find a book that would actually help Pokota's condition they had a bigger problem to worry about that they were completely ignoring. They were underground and the way they had gotten there had collapsed. It was possible to move the rumble to make way for an opening but that had risks. The ground was already proven unstable and doing so might cause another cave in. The same went with using magic. Whatever they chose to do it would likely take time to do it. But they weren't even thinking about it.

They didn't have an endless supply of food at their disposal. Their exploration into the underground lab was an impromptu adventure spurred on by Kopo. The only thing they had an ample supply off was water and even that was suspect. Was the glowing blue water really safe to drink? Pokota was already drinking it but they didn't know if there were going to be any other long term effects besides a temporary reduction in pain.

An escape route should have been at the forefront of their concerns at that moment but it wasn't even on the backburner. It completely flew out of their minds as they looked through the mysterious books in front of them.

Occasionally a couple chips broke off from the ceiling above landing with a plume of dust. These little landings were becoming more frequent but it still failed to stir up any attention from the trio.

...

More time went by and still the pile of potentially helpful readable books wasn't getting much bigger. By this time Pokota had given up trying to sort through the books and was just reading the ones he could to see what he could find. Even the ones in Mlae'sh were proving to be duds. It was really frustrating the Tarforashian prince.

"Are you having any luck Pokota?" Sylphiel wondered breaking Pokota from his thoughts.

Pokota violently shook his head. "No. Interesting books, but nothing that can help me."

Sylphiel let out a sigh and walked over to the other side of the room to one of the bookshelves etched out into the wall. There didn't seem any rhyme or reason to how the books were organized. The titles weren't sorted alphabetically, by language or by subject. She figured that perhaps the original owner of the lab had a reason to organize his or her books in such a way but Sylphiel couldn't figure it out. So that left her eyes skimming the titles looking for words that made sense.

A lot of the titles looked like gibberish to Sylphiel with only a few standing out at her as something she could understand. Most of them looked very old so it wasn't surprising to see an odd book with no title on the cover. The age showed through the binding proving that there had once been a title but it had worn away with time.

That being said there was one book on this particular bookshelf that housed a book with no title that didn't seem as old as the rest. Sylphiel traced a gloved finger over the spine of the book where the title should have been noting the rough leather. The others that had their titles stolen from them were well worn and the leather was soft and smooth. This book however didn't show the tell tale signs it had ever had a title in the first place. Curiosity got the best of Sylphiel so she plucked this particular book from the shelf to leaf through it.

The cover of this book was forest green reminding Sylphiel of leafs that once grew from the branches of the great holy tree Flagoon. Just like the spine of the book the front bore no title. The only thing she saw was a strange crest that oddly looked familiar to the young shrine maiden. She couldn't help but trace the gold indented crest with her fingers feeling just a bit entranced by it. Deep down in the reassess of her mind a chord was struck telling her that this symbol was important and that she should know what it meant. But grasping away at the heavenly sound Sylphiel couldn't hear the full music it made. She just couldn't remember what it was.

Ever so carefully Sylphiel opened the book and turned the pages. Though not as old as some of the books in the lab it was still very old and delicate and Sylphiel feared she would tear the fragile pages.

From the way the paragraphs were formatted Sylphiel realized right away why this book bore no title. It wasn't a storybook or a text book of sorts. The book was a journal and probably a personal one at that. Right away Sylphiel's snapped up to the portrait of Lei Magnus hanging on the wall. It was one of his younger days before he really became known as the powerful mage history recorded him to be. Even at this young age Magnus still seemed powerful and opposing making Sylphiel shiver as she looked at him. He appeared to be looking down at her as though he was aware of their trespassing into his lab. And he didn't look happy about it either.

Sylphiel shook off that horrible thought and turned her attention back to the book. The idea of the both the lab and the journal belonging to Magnus still was present in Sylphiel's mind but she tried to push it out of her head. With no actual proof making such assumptions was pointless.

Though looking like elfin at first Sylphiel realized right away as she read a couple pages that it wasn't. It had similar loops and fancy letting structures of elfin but it wasn't. It was too elegant to be dwarf but too crude to be fairy. A dragon text was a possibility but Sylphiel was sure it wasn't. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but she was sure she had seen this sort of writing before.

"Miss Sylphiel is something wrong?" Amelia asked looking up at the raven haired shrine maiden.

"Huh? Oh yes I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You were frowning." Amelia clarified.

Sylphiel just shrugged. "This writing looks familiar but I can't tell where I've seen it before." She showed both Amelia and Pokota the book.

Amelia's face scrunched up into a bigger frown that had been gracing Sylphiel's face. "I don't recognize it at all!"

"Hmm..." Pokota mumbled as he mulled over what he saw. "It feels familiar... Like I should know it..."

"That's how I feel!" Sylphiel exclaimed taking the book back and sitting herself down. Even though she couldn't read it she couldn't help but want to try and make sense of it.

Both Pokota and Amelia and went back to their own books.

As Sylphiel sat there looking over the words a strange thing started to happen right before her eyes. Nothing on the pages changed but in her mind her eyes started to see the letters move and morph. The changes made things clearer to Sylphiel as her brain finally processed what she was actually seeing. It was the same text as the shrine manuscripts of Old Siaraag! Though technically a dead language, Sieltus was the language that used be spoken across the western side of the demon peninsula long before the war of the monster's fall. What Sylphiel and everyone today spoke is an adaption of the old Sieltus language that had mixed with other area's colloquial languages.

Since Siaraag had once been the magic capital of the world there were several deeply rooted practices that had been standard even after the great city had fallen. Whatever texts that had survived the fall were preserved so as to not forget their heritage. As a child Sylphiel and all other shrine hopefuls were made to learn to Sieltus so they could understand their old holy texts. It had been years since Sylphiel had seen anything written in Sieltus as all the remaining books Siaraag had had been destroyed during the last battle with Hellmaster Phibrizzo. "It's Sieltus..." Sylphiel mumbled in shock.

Pokota snapped his head up to look at Sylphiel. "That's the old language my people spoke before they came to Tarforashia! I knew it was familiar! I've seen books before written in it."

"Can you read Sieltus?"

Pokota shook his head. "Most of the books were lost years and years ago and there's not a person left in Tarforashia that I know of that can read it."

"I had to learn it for my shrine maiden training." Sylphiel admitted.

"So you can read it?" Pokota asked hopefully. Even if Sylphiel could read it didn't guarantee that it would be a helpful book. Still Pokota couldn't help but get his hopes up a little.

"Not well. I only learned enough to read the holy texts we had..." Sylphiel mumbled as she skimmed over the words on the page before her. "But I think I can get the general idea of it..."

"What does it say?"

"It's a journal. Though whoever the journal belongs to he or she didn't sign their name at the bottom of the entries. If I'm reading this correctly it looks like a person account of a journey to some place." Sylphiel explained. "To... Be'N-Tea O'r Mla."

"Temple of wishes." Pokota translated. "That's Mlae'sh."

"An elfin temple of wishes?" Amelia repeated. "I've never heard of such a place. What sort of wishes does it grant?"

"Well it looks like the writer was seeking out the place to grant a wish. Though he or she doesn't state it at the beginning. Though it looks like-" Sylphiel started to say when a loud crash cut her off.

In a sudden instant the ceiling caved right in on them from above.


	26. Chapter 26

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-six, The City of Blood

By Relm

The whole world seemed to go in slow motion during those awful moments. Pokota could only just watch in horror as the ceiling came down on him. Though he could see everything move slowly around him he himself couldn't move fast enough to do anything. It was like his body was moving like molasses and all Pokota could do was struggle against the horrible force as inevitable death claimed him. Then the world all sped up again but Pokota could do nothing.

Pokota found himself closing his eyes and bracing for the painful death to come. But in those seconds he felt his body being propelled forward and up. When he opened his eyes again he was above ground again hovering in the air in a barrier. Confusion fully set in and Pokota scanned around to see what exactly had happened.

The barrier was as it turned out was Kopo's doing. While Pokota's body was moving as slow as molasses Kopo seemed to defy logic and physics and zoomed forward shoving Pokota toward Sylphiel and Amelia. In those brief seconds Kopo had them all in the barrier and Sylphiel was the one that cast the levitation.

In those crazy seconds Pokota hadn't been thinking about the pile of unread books on the ground. He had clutched onto the one book that he had in his hand but the rest had been forgotten. It was a similar thing for Sylphiel and Amelia. The two women only held one book a piece in their hands after the destruction. Out of thousands of rare and priceless books only three had survived.

Looking down at the carnage below them all Pokota could see was a pit of rubble. The whole lab had caved in on itself. There was no way anyone could get back down there. The place had been completely destroyed as well as any hope of salvaging any of the books or drinking anymore of the glowing water.

Immediately Pokota reached for his sides in horror. Before the cave in Pokota had clipped the canteens with the glowing water to his sides of his belt and in those first moments Pokota's body felt completely numb. He couldn't feel the weight of the canteens tugging at his belt. But his fingers grazed the smooth leather of the cases and Pokota felt some measure of relief.

Kopo struggled with the barrier while Sylphiel set them down away from the carnage. They were quite far from Siaraag in a dense area of forest. The only area where no trees stood was where the ground had caved under. Between the rubble and the uprooted and overturned trees it was extremely unlikely that anyone could ever uncover anything from the lab.

"Is everyone okay?" Sylphiel asked once they were all on solid ground and the barrier was gone.

"Just a few scratches on me." Amelia announced looking over herself. Her clothing was torn and dirty in some spots but she was fine.

"I'm okay too." Pokota mumbled while coughing on some of the dust he had inhaled.

"We're lucky to be alive! That was really scary." Amelia let out a shudder. Given that she was still lacking her full magic powers she hadn't been able to do anything in those frightful moments. Never before had Amelia felt so helpless.

"Yeah really lucky." Pokota muttered somewhat sarcastically. He looked down at the book he had in his hand hoping against hope it was something helpful. It was a book he could read but it turned out to just be a cookbook. It was a special cookbook since it was so old and it was all recipes to cook dragon but it didn't thrill Pokota much. "Well this one is useless. Is the book you have Amelia any better?"

Amelia flipped through hers with a frown. "No. It looks like it's dwarfish and from the pictures I'd say it's about blacksmithing. So not really helpful... Do you still have that journal Miss Sylphiel?"

Sylphiel nodded. "Thankfully yes. Pokota do you still have the canteens of the water?"

"Yes right here." Pokota held them up for Sylphiel to see.

"Alright let's go back to my house so we can get something to eat. After that I'll try and see if I can figure out more about the journal, who wrote it and this elfin temple of wishes."

...

By the time the trio and stuffed animal got back to Sylphiel's house they were ravenous with hunger. Ordinarily Sylphiel liked to prepare a nice cooked meal in favor of cold things but they were all too hungry to wait that long. Sylphiel was quick as the wind as she whipped up sandwiches and salads for them to eat. With freshly cut up fruit for dessert the foursome got to eating.

While she ate Sylphiel turned the pages of the journal reading everything carefully while taking notes. She still had no idea who the author of the book was but she was really starting to believe it was Lei Magnus' journal. Many of the names of places used in the journal were very old and in time with when Lei Magnus was traveling the world.

The Be'N-Tea O'r Mla or temple of wishes according to the journal was just west a town called IrC'nn. From talking with Pokota the best she could get was that IrC'nn was elfin for the word family. There was a good chance that this strange town mentioned in the journal may not exist today. Just as Siaraag had fallen many times before this town, IrC'nn, may have fallen a similar fate. It was possible that the town might have been rebuilt as Siaraag had been but the name may have since changed. Making this elfin temple of wishes possibly be just about anywhere.

"Do you have any ideas yet where this IrC'nn town is?" Pokota asked as he stuffed his face with another sandwich. He had already had eaten several but he wasn't about to stop till he was sure he was full.

Sylphiel shook her head not even bothering to look up from the journal. "Not sure. Most of the places the journal describes either no longer exist or they have different names today." Her lips were pressed together in a tight frown as her frustration was growing. Just reading the damned book was hard on Sylphiel regardless of the language it was written in. Even if it had been one that wasn't long since dead it wouldn't be easy for Sylphiel understand. The author of the journal seemed to fancy themselves a poet and wrote their words with such floral fanfare. Lyrically speaking it was beautiful and descriptive but not terribly concise. Many unnecessary words were used to detail something as trivial as a bird they had seen flying overhead in the sky.

There was one bright side to reading the journal for Sylphiel, the language was getting easier to understand. The years she spent learning Sieltus started to seep back into Sylphiel's mind bringing back childhood memories of pouring over old Siaraag texts. But old texts didn't describe things as florally as this journal.

'Where the heck is IrC'nn?' Sylphiel mentally wondered as she tapped her pencil against her notebook in frustration. She kept looking for clues in the landmarks the author described but it wasn't helping her much. But that probably would be because those landmarks didn't exist anymore.

Sylphiel let out a sigh and turned another page in the journal. Instead of more text Sylphiel was greeted with the sight of a drawing a tree. This wasn't the first time Sylphiel had come across a drawing in the journal. The author seemed to like to draw the occasional sight that he or she had seen in their travels. A tree itself wasn't really all that interesting of all the possible things that one could see during a journey so it shouldn't have really made Sylphiel pause. But growing up in Siaraag however made Sylphiel see this drawing in a whole different way.

The author hadn't drawn just this one tree but the whole area around it. In relation to the other trees in the drawing it was clear that this one tree was extremely large. There also appeared to a city at the base of it.

Sylphiel felt her heart start to race. Only one place came to mind when she saw this picture. It was Siaraag, Old Siaraag! Biting her tongue to prevent herself from screaming Sylphiel turned another page and began reading.

_A days end once more by the sweet smell of rose and merriment. My soul grows tired from my fruitless travel. Feeling my goal is further than these two feet can manage I near collapse in despite. But the tree! Oh the glorious tree! To gaze upon its holy foliage fills my heart with joy. I more nearer than my mind had grown to wonder. I have reached the holy magic capital Sia'ra'ag! I am almost upon IrC'nn! The north-westerly winds glide me to my goal. The temple of wishes..._

"Oh my gods!" Sylphiel screamed jumping up from her chair with her hands covering her mouth.

"What is it?!" Amelia and Pokota asked at the same time.

"The temple... it's northwest of Siaraag!" Sylphiel exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" Pokota had to ask.

Sylphiel showed Pokota and Amelia the drawing of the tree. "You know what this is right?"

"That's Flagoon!" Amelia cheered with glee. "And that's Siaraag!"

Pokota himself wasn't so convinced. "That could be Siaraag but that also could be Tarforashia too."

"In the next few pages the author refers to it as Sia'ra'ag! And the author also goes on further to say that the IrC'nn is in the northwest."

Rather than be exited Pokota frowned and cleared the table of some of the dirty dishes. He put down a map of the demon peninsula and grabbed Sylphiel's pencil. "So here is Siaraag." Pokota circled the city on the map. "And IrC'nn is supposed to be northwest of Siaraag." Pokota drew a diagonal line northwest from Siaraag. The line ended up going right through the city of Krimson.

"Does that mean that IrC'nn is Krimson City?" Amelia wondered looking at the map.

"IrC'nn means family..." Pokota mumbled. "But to be of kin of someone is to be of shared blood. And blood is red, thus... Krimson."

"That makes sense." Sylphiel agreed. She snatched the pencil away from Pokota and drew a circle around the area west of Krimson City. "And if Krimson is IrC'nn then this area should be where the temple is."

"How many days travel is that?"

"Not sure. I only went to Krimson once as a child and that was a long time ago." Sylphiel admitted while biting her bottom lip in thought. "If I were to guess I'd say a couple days maybe...?"

"We should leave at once!" Amelia declared ready to run to her room to pack.

"No." Pokota was quick to shoot that down. "It's already the middle of the afternoon so it would be silly to start out on a journey now."

"But Pokota we don't have an abundance of time! The quicker we can get there the better!" Amelia whined in protest.

Pokota shook his head. He had his mind made up and no one was going to sway him. "No. We'll leave tomorrow morning. I don't want us to have to camp out more than we have to. Plus I still have the glowing water. So with that I have more time."

Sylphiel nodded in agreement. "Pokota is right Amelia. We should leave at first light tomorrow. If we left now we'd have to scramble to get things packed and we might forget something we'd really need. Better to pack with a clear mind today and get to bed early to leave early."

"So this means you'll be coming with us Miss Sylphiel?" Pokota said softly. He barely knew the former shrine maiden and yet she was willing to help him. Being stuck in the body of a stuffed animal and alone for so long Pokota wasn't used to such kindness.

"Of course Pokota. You are my friend. And I never abandon my friends when they need me." Sylphiel flashed a brilliant warm smile at Pokota as she put a gentle hand on his head to ruffle his hair. "Isn't that right Amelia?"

Amelia nodded. "Definitely!"

"Okay then tomorrow we all go!" Pokota declared. That small ray of hope was so bright within Pokota and he could never hope to squash it now.


	27. Chapter 27

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-seven, The Heart Wants What the Heat Wants

By Relm

Amelia, Sylphiel and Pokota had spent the rest of the day packing the things they needed for their upcoming trip. Since Sylphiel didn't want to leave anything to chance she and Amelia had gone through town buying more supplies while Pokota rested. Another thing Amelia and Sylphiel did while getting supplies was seeing if anyone was willing to join them on their quest. Sadly there was no one brave enough or skilled enough to feel confident enough to offer their services.

With no help but supplies in hand the two girls went back to Sylphiel's to finish packing and to start dinner. Since high calorie, high fat and high protein filled foods were best Sylphiel had opted to make a good hearty dish. A thick meaty stew with lots of starchy vegetables that was extremely delicious. Pokota and Kopo eat until their stomachs were about to burst and even then there was still some left over. The meal was good and heavy surely to make anyone sleep well.

This was true for Sylphiel, Amelia and Kopo as they had no trouble getting to sleep that night. But not so for Pokota. Just like the previous night Pokota found himself sitting in the living room staring outside instead of in his room sleeping. The previous night's insomnia had been brought on by despair but this one was different.

Pokota was filled with hope again. Maybe he could come out alive out of all this after all. He didn't dare dream of what life he could have if all things went well. He didn't have that much hope but he was entertaining some more positive thoughts.

One thought he was thinking more about had to do with what had happened the night before. He had asked Amelia to kiss him and she had. It had been an emotional moment that Pokota would never forget. The kiss had been as much wonderful as it had been horrible. And it also had Pokota wondering if it could ever happen again?

Pokota wasn't stupid, he knew he guilt Amelia into kissing him. She saw him as a cherished friend and not as a potential love interest. She would have never kissed him in normal circumstances. Or at least that's what Pokota assumed. At best if Pokota did live through this ordeal then he and Amelia would only ever be just friends.

It turns even hope can be depressing.

Suddenly Pokota felt himself get very tired. With one last look at the moon in the sky Pokota got up and turned his back on the window. Tomorrow was going to be a big day so he needed to rest up.

'You can mull about your nonexistent love life another time...' Pokota told himself as he headed towards his room.

...

The next morning had Pokota waking up feeling very tired. Though he had gotten a full night's sleep he didn't feel rested. His dreams had been littered with disturbing images. He dreamt that his body wasn't connected and his body parts were scattered about. Pokota had spent the whole dream trying to get his body put back together with the help of Amelia and Sylphiel. It got stranger still, Amelia wasn't Amelia but a rag doll and Sylphiel was a walking bowl of petunias. Kopo was in the dream too but he wasn't even a stuffed animal. No Kopo was a big yellow balloon with a smiley face drawn on it.

Getting out of bed Pokota expected to be in a world of pain. This was what he was used to. Pain and temporary loss of at least one of his senses. However he noticed he was feeling only a bit sore. Along with his tiredness it just felt like he had a bad sleep. It was encouraging but Pokota wasn't about to get excited. He had drank some of the glowing water before going to bed.

Since time was of the essence Pokota dressed quickly and got himself ready. He had assumed that Sylphiel was already probably up and making breakfast as Pokota was probably the last one up. Lest he keep the others waiting.

Going down the stairs Pokota was puzzled by the fact that his nasal cavities weren't being tickled by a Sylphiel culinary masterpiece. Had he woken up earlier than everyone else?

Nearer to the kitchen Pokota could hear the sounds of someone working away at breakfast. Obviously they had just begun preparations otherwise he would have smelled something. Shaking his head Pokota walked into Sylphiel's sanctuary.

"Good morning Pokota! Sit down, breakfast is almost ready." Sylphiel smiled at Pokota as she finished up making the morning meal.

Kopo was hovering over Sylphiel's shoulder trying in vain to snatch some of the food when Sylphiel wasn't looking. He never actually succeeded as Sylphiel never let her guard down when it came to food preparations.

Amelia was sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea looking very much relaxed and content. "Doesn't it smell wonderful in here? Miss Sylphiel is making sausages, eggs and cinnamon buns!"

Pokota took a big whiff and frowned. He sat down at the table with a defeated slump.

"Pokota what's wrong?" Amelia wondered looking at Pokota with concern.

"I can't smell anything." Pokota sighed.

"Are you feeling sick? Is your nose plugged up?" Sylphiel put down the food on the table and felt Pokota's forehead.

"I'm not sick. Or at least not cold and flu sick. This is just like the blindness thing all over again." Pokota groaned. He looked at the food before and boy did it look delicious. But as he shoveled into his mouth he discovered he couldn't taste a thing. "Actually this is worse than being blind. I can't taste anything either." He whined letting his head fall and hit the table in frustration.

"At least you know it's temporary." Amelia reassured him.

"Just like the water... Doesn't cure just delays..." Pokota said bitterly.

"Well I'm sorry it doesn't taste like much but please eat up you'll need the energy for later." Sylphiel advised him.

...

After breakfast was eaten and future meals prepared and packed the trio and stuffed animal left New Siaraag heading northwest towards Krimson.

"_Source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. FIREBALL!" _Amelia commanded demanding the magic fire to form in her hands. A full fledged fireball emerged much to Amelia's delight. She threw the fireball against a boulder and watched it explode. "It's back! I have my magic back!" Amelia cheered.

"Well that's a relief." Sylphiel smiled. "It's a good thing, as we might need your magic later."

"We should fly to Krimson!" Amelia gushed with excitement.

Pokota shook his head right away at that comment. "Given that we're not even one hundred percent sure that Krimson is IrC'nn I'd much rather walk than fly. We could end up going past it all together."

"That's right Amelia." Sylphiel agreed with Pokota. "It could be the IrC'nn fell like Siaraag and it's descendants decided to rebuild it but in another area. So even if Krimson is technically the rebuilt IrC'nn, Krimson may be further north that the original IrC'nn or in any direction for that matter. We could fly to Krimson and miss over the ruins of the original IrC'nn." She explained.

Amelia let out a defeated sigh. "Okay we'll walk... I was just excited that I could actually be helpful for once. I haven't been able to do much this whole quest."

"Amelia that's nonsense!" Pokota protested. "You've done more than enough to help me. Believe me when I say that there's no way I could have made it this far without you Amelia."

Amelia blushed. "If you say so. Anyway let's get going!"

...

Having an extra person with them while they travelled was proving to be a real help. Given that this trip was more thought out than Pokota's original one they had lots more supplies packed to take with them. And with Sylphiel going on along she was able to carry a good amount of those supplies. Plus her knowledge of the area made it almost impossible for them to end up lost. But the biggest benefit of having Sylphiel along was when it started to get dark.

Not only did Sylphiel cook them all up a nice dinner over the campfire she was an extra person to help with the night watches. Unfortunately for Pokota Sylphiel agreed with Amelia in not letting Pokota take one of those watches. Proper rest and good food was very important for Pokota though the Tarforashian prince disagreed but not enough to put up a big fuss. When it came time to for Pokota and Amelia to go the sleep so that Sylphiel could take her watch Pokota did try to sleep. However once again night time brought on strange thoughts in Pokota's head and he just couldn't sleep.

He laid in his bedroll looking up into the night sky. It was a cloudy overcast so there were no stars or moon to stare at, just clouds. Pokota didn't say anything or let out make any noises to make it apparent he was awake but Sylphiel was aware of it just the same.

"Pokota you really need to get some sleep." Sylphiel chided as she stoked the fire.

"I'm trying but my brain is too noisy." Pokota mumbled while sitting up.

"I know you've got a lot of things to worry about with the problems with your body and this potential cure but you got to find a way to block it out."

Pokota shook his head. "That's not what I'm thinking about. Actually no I am thinking about that but that's not what's keeping me awake."

"Perhaps if you talked about what's on your mind your brain won't keep your sleep captive?" Sylphiel suggested.

Pokota looked over at Amelia studying her carefully. From the even rise and fall of her chest he was sure that she was asleep. "Well... it's kinda... private..."

"I promise I won't say anything Pokota. You can trust me."

"Okay... it's just that... the night before last I was feeling very depressed and I couldn't sleep. Amelia found me and we started talking... I was just so sad thinking about all the things I missed out on life... Miss Sylphiel I asked Amelia to... kiss me..."

Sylphiel's eyes went wide. "Why?"

"I had never... kissed anyone before... I asked Amelia to as a dying wish..."

"Did she?"

Pokota couldn't verbalize his answer all he could do was shamefully nod.

"You know she's in love with Mister Zelgadis right?" Sylphiel stated almost sadly.

"So I've been told..." Pokota muttered bitterly.

"Do you regret the kiss?"

"I don't know... I have no other kisses to compare it to but I'm sure it's the best kiss I could have ever received. I've spent all this time alone with Amelia and you know what Miss Sylphiel, I think... no I know I have feelings for her. Strong feelings... She's so beautiful, so sweet and kind..." Pokota trailed off while shooting a longing look at the slumbering Amelia. "She's angel... and angel on earth..."

"Who is in love with someone else." Sylphiel finished off.

Pokota nodded while letting out a deep sigh.

"I can see why you're having trouble sleeping. I know this might sound insincere, but I know exactly what you're feeling." Sylphiel let out a sigh of her own. "Being in love with someone who is in love with someone else can be hard."

"Does it ever get better?"

Sylphiel wanted to lie to Pokota and tell him that it did but she couldn't. "Maybe it can but for me it hasn't. I've been in love with Gourry-dear for so long and even though he's with Miss Lina I still can't shake that feeling when I see him. I've been trying to get past it and move on but it's hard. Your heart wants what it wants even if that's something that doesn't want you back."

"Do you think Amelia could ever feel anything for me besides friendship?" Pokota wondered with fragile hope spilling into his voice.

This was another time where Sylphiel wanted to lie but she just couldn't. "Maybe... But as long as Mister Zelgadis is in the picture Amelia may have trouble seeing anything else."

"I don't know why such a perfect person like Amelia would love such a cold indifferent person such as Mister Zelgadis. It just doesn't seem right. I don't even think he feels the same way about her." Pokota muttered bitterly.

"The heart wants what the heart wants." Sylphiel repeated herself.

"Yes it does..."


	28. Chapter 28

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-eight, The Cruelty of Being Just Friends

By Relm

After their discussion it was hard for Sylphiel to convince Pokota to go back to trying to sleep. Though she had suggested speaking his mind in order to free it can let go and slumber it turned out that talking about the problem just made it worse. Pokota became twice as gloomy longing for affection he was doomed to never have. Sylphiel tried to make him see the bright side of things. Pokota was a bright, kind and pleasant guy who any girl would be happy to date. Sylphiel reminded him that if he was cured then he could go out there and find a girl to be his queen. That really should have been enough except for one thing. Pokota didn't want just any girl, he wanted Amelia. His heart and mind had become fixated on the Sailune princess and no other girl would ever be better to him.

Sylphiel could have fed him positive thoughts and build up his confidence. She could have told him he had a chance and that maybe Amelia would see him as something more in the future. But Sylphiel just couldn't do that to Pokota no matter how many times he asked her. Pokota so desperately wanted to convince himself he had a chance that he was bargaining with Sylphiel for a more favorable answer. The conversation ended up having Sylphiel begging Pokota to stop talking and go to sleep.

Eventually Pokota relented and went back to trying to sleep. Though she had been the one to suggest Pokota speak his mind Sylphiel wished afterwards that she hadn't. Hearing the heartache in Pokota's voice and the parallels of his love life to her own just was too much for Sylphiel. She tried to stay positive and strong but hearing Pokota's desperate feelings made Sylphiel realize that she was far weaker than she thought. It hurt thinking about the one you loved loving someone else and not you.

Being just friends was so cruel. It made promises of a strong bond that never meant more than nice words, polite encouragements and platonic companionship. There would be no tender caresses, whispers of sweet nothings or kisses so passionate that it lit one's soul ablaze with the fires of love.

How could Sylphiel keep her resolve and remain strong? She didn't want to think about Gourry like that anymore. She wanted to push that blond haired swordsman out of her romantic mind and think of other things. Like what it would be like to just think of Gourry as purely a friend. Gourry seemed to be happy with Lina so why couldn't she just be happy with that? Sylphiel almost convinced herself that that would be enough. It was almost working. But then Pokota had ruined that inner peace she was trying achieve.

It made Sylphiel so very tired. All she wanted to do at that moment was sleep. She was almost envious of Pokota; he didn't have to take a watch at all. Of course that was the only bright side to his condition. A hallow comfort for the dying.

Sylphiel didn't need to put out her pocket watch to know that she still had a long ways to go till it was her time to sleep. It was going to be a long night.

...

Amelia tossed and turned in her bedroll as a horrifying scene played out in her sleep. In her dream Pokota was disappearing right before her eyes and she couldn't do anything about it. He begged her to help him screaming in pain and fear the whole while. Amelia tried oh how she tried to save Pokota but it didn't matter what she did Pokota was rapidly disappearing.

"No! No! Stop! Pokota please come back!" Amelia mumbled in her sleep.

"Amelia! Amelia wake up!" Sylphiel gently shook Amelia's shoulder.

"NOOO! Huh wa?!" Amelia woke with a shot. "What happened?! What's going on?!"

"I'm sorry to wake you Amelia but you were talking in your sleep." Sylphiel apologized. "It sounded like you were having a nightmare."

Amelia let out a sigh and fell back onto her bedroll. She rubbed her forehead while let out a tired groan. "Yes it was a nightmare, a horrible horrible nightmare!"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd much rather forget it." Amelia moaned. "This isn't first time I've had this dream."

"I'm guessing it's about Pokota."

Amelia nodded. "Yes. I've been having dreams about Pokota disappearing. He's begging me to save him and he's in a lot pain. But anything I do does nothing to help him."

"That sounds like a terrible dream."

"It doesn't get any better when I wake up either. Because it's just a grim reminder that Pokota is fading away and there isn't much I can to help him."

"But you are helping him Amelia. I know he's very thankful to having you here with him." Sylphiel tried to reassure the Sailune princess.

"Tell that to my subconscious brain." Amelia muttered.

"I know it's difficult but try and go back to sleep."

Amelia shook her head. "No there's no way I could go back to sleep now. Why don't I take over on your watch? It's got to be close to my time anyway."

Sylphiel pulled out her pocket watch and frowned. "Amelia you still have more than an hour."

"It's okay Miss Sylphiel I don't mind really. Plus you look really tired." Amelia insisted.

Sylphiel's frown increased as she mulled over Amelia's suggestion. The typical Sylphiel thing to do would be to insist that she was not tired and make Amelia go back to sleep. But that would entail lying to Amelia and Sylphiel wasn't a good liar. "You're sure it's okay?"

"Yes yes! Go get some sleep Miss Sylphiel!"

"Okay, goodnight Amelia."

"Goodnight Miss Sylphiel!" Amelia flashed her friend a big smile as she watched Sylphiel go to sleep. Once Amelia was sure Sylphiel was sleeping Amelia's smile turned to a deep frown. Her dream bothered her more that she let on to Sylphiel. Amelia looked over at her cursed friend wishing she could find some way to heal him herself. It didn't seem right that such a nice and kind person such as Pokota would have to go through such a thing.

While looking at Pokota she starting thinking of all the time she had spent with him. They had already had some crazy adventures fighting evil and powerful beings. There had been laughs and tears with happy moments and bad ones. So many of the recent ones being of the sad variety. They had both been riding an emotional rollercoaster for days (Pokota's being far worse than Amelia's.).

Just thinking about that night day before yesterday made Amelia's mind swim. He had asked her to kiss him and she had. Amelia had never kissed a boy before. She herself had been kissed but never initiated a kiss. It had been such a sad moment but at the same time...

No. Amelia couldn't let herself think about that. She was in love with Zelgadis. Zelgadis was the one that she was supposed to be dreamily thinking about kissing. Not thinking about how tragically romantic a dying boy to asking a girl like her to be his first and last kiss. It was just like those romantic novels...

Again Amelia had to shake that notion from her head. She and Pokota were friends, nothing more. She as in love with Zelgadis not keeping a secret torch lit for the Tarforashian prince in the deep recesses of her heart. And it wasn't like Pokota himself had a secret crush on her either. He was just going through something terrible and wanted some comfort. It's not like he requested the kiss especially because it was her there with him. Amelia assumed that in his right mind Pokota would have never made such a request. Pokota and her were friends and Amelia was sure it wouldn't have mattered what girl it was with him at that moment. He was lamenting on moments that would never be in his life. Pokota had a good reason to be depressed.

So there was no way that Amelia could read anything more into that kiss. It was just a favour between friends. Still that didn't stop Amelia from approaching the sleeping prince to watch him in his slumber. If you asked Amelia why she was doing that she would insist that she was just making sure he was breathing. The man was dying after all so she had every right to be concerned. So she really was justified in getting close enough to Pokota to listen and see if he was breathing. However she wasn't justified in staying there after she confirmed her friend was still alive.

While sleeping Pokota seemed so peaceful. Amelia had gotten used to see the Tarforashian prince with his face contorted in pain or frustration. It was nice to see a relaxed smile tugging at his lips. Seeing him so peaceful really tugged on Amelia's heart. He was still dying yet in his dreams it was like everything was okay. 'If only I could make that so...' Amelia thought sadly her face forming a sad frown.

"A...ma..." Pokota mumbled in his sleep.

Amelia sat upright startled by the sudden noise. With her curiosity peaked Amelia had to lean in real close to hear what he was saying. This was nosy of Amelia but she justified that she needed to figure out if he was having a nightmare. She would have to wake him up in that was the case right? But then again what people smile during nightmares? Busted... Still Amelia had to know.

"Ame... la... Ame... lia... Amelia..." Pokota mumbled some more.

Amelia's face went bright red as she scampered away quickly. 'Pokota is dreaming about me?!'

The smile on Pokota's sleeping face broadened making it even clearer he wasn't having a nightmare.

The first thought that went through Amelia's head at that moment was the kiss. Maybe he hadn't asked her just because she was there at that time. Maybe that kiss meant more than just a favour between friends. Maybe Pokota had been harboring feelings for Amelia this whole time... Maybe the kiss meant something to her as well...

No no, Amelia couldn't have those thoughts. Pokota was her friend and friend only. And she loved Zelgadis. Strong, sturdy and silent Zelgadis... who she hadn't seen in months... Inconsiderate Zelgadis who didn't even say goodbye when he left and hadn't have the decency to even write her a damned letter when she had already sent him five!

Alright maybe there were some hidden issues. Zelgadis wasn't perfect but then again who was? That wasn't any reason to think romantic thoughts about a dying friend. Pokota just needed her help and Amelia liked helping people. That didn't mean she had a crush on him or that he had a crush on her. They were just friends.

And only friends.

Amelia did the only thing she could at that moment to banish these rogue thoughts and that was to get up and pace. It was times like these that she really hated standing watch alone. She desperately wanted to talk to someone to help her mind think about something else but she couldn't. It was just her and silence. The only interruptions came from the occasional crackle from the campfire and steady even breathing of her traveling companions.

Spying a look at her watch proved to Amelia that she had many more hours to go till it was time for everyone to get up. More so since she offered to take some of Sylphiel watch from her.

Gods how she hated nightmares.


	29. Chapter 29

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Twenty-nine, Precious Time

By Relm

The next morning was a bright and sunny one. It was the kind of morning that should have made a person wake up with a smile. Not the case for the traveling trio. Given that Kopo was the only one that got proper sleep Amelia, Pokota and Sylphiel were tired and less than thrilled about the morning.

"It's too bright..." Pokota whined while squinting. "It's hurting my eyes."

"Is that the only thing that's hurting?" Amelia wondered while she helped Sylphiel with breakfast.

"My head hurts too." Pokota grumbled while rubbing his temples.

"That could be because of your eyes being sensitive to the light." Sylphiel rationalized. "Have you drank any of the water yet?"

"Just a small sip. I don't want to drink too much of it unless I absolutely have to."

"Okay well breakfast is ready. As soon as we're finished we should get going." Sylphiel advised.

"Miss Sylphiel what is Krimson like?"

Sylphiel shrugged as she dished out the breakfast. "I can't really remember too well. I was just a little girl the last time I was there. All I can remember is that they had a really pretty marble statue of a goddess in the middle of the town. It was statue's face and body were white marble but her hair and robes were a deep red marble. And I think her eyes were jade..."

"That does sound beautiful." Amelia sighed. "They must have some real artistic people there."

"Probably though I think the statue might have been older than the town..." Sylphiel mumbled as she recalled the image of the statue in her head.

"How so?"

"Well I think if I'm remembering correctly... the marble statue had pointed ears..."

"The goddess was an elf?" Pokota prompted her.

Sylphiel nodded. "Possibly. But I can't be sure as it was a very long time ago."

"Still that is a good sign that Krimson is the town we're looking for."

"Alright then we should get quickly and get a move on."

With that little piece of information and the good food they had to eat the moods of Sylphiel, Pokota and Amelia were brightened somewhat. Despite this they all had things on their mind as they ate.

Sylphiel was still thinking about Gourry and where things stood with him. Could she ever be something more than just a friend or would she be forever eclipsed by Lina?

Amelia was thinking about Pokota and the fact that the Tarforashian prince had been dreaming about her. For hours during her watch her mind had been in a tailspin of rogue thoughts. Each time a potentially romantic thought about her and Pokota entered her head she tried to quash it with logic. She had no way of knowing that Pokota was dreaming about her in a more than friends' manner. But at the same time she had no way of knowing that he wasn't. It got Amelia thinking about what it would be like to date a guy like Pokota.

Pokota was a nice guy who had a similar upbringing to her. Both of them came from royal families and both of them grew up without a mother. Pokota had a strong sense of justice just like her (well not quite but who could trump Amelia in that department?) and they both very dedicated to their people.

There were other things to consider too. Pokota was a prince, she was a princess. It was generally expected that as a princess Amelia would end up marrying a prince. Though this was the social convention Prince Philonel wasn't about to force this upon his daughter. He himself hadn't married a princess so why should he expect his daughters to marry princes? Marrying a prince however would make Amelia a queen. And with Pokota being a prince this worked quite well.

Of course this was completely ignoring one important thing. Amelia was supposed to be in love with Zelgadis. How could she be entertaining thoughts about a future with Pokota when she was supposed to be in love with another man? But then again Zelgadis wasn't a prince...

These sorts of rogue thoughts were still flying around Amelia's head while she ate even though she was trying to push them out. She really needed to talk to someone about this. Amelia made a vow, the first chance she could get she was going to have a little chat with Sylphiel.

While Pokota ate he thought about the dream he had the previous night. Originally when he started talking about his growing feelings for Amelia with Sylphiel he hadn't thought it was a good idea. He was already having trouble sleeping and he felt talking about her would just make things worse. As it turned out Sylphiel had been right; talking had actually helped him. It did have a downside and that would be the dream.

Pokota hadn't been having a nightmare, it was a very nice pleasant dream about Amelia and him married and ruling as King and Queen over the combined kingdoms of Sailune and Tarforashia. And in this dream the pair was blessed with several beautiful children. It had been such a nice dream that it was so terrible when he finally woke.

Yes it was a nice lovely sunny day that was lost on the three humans eating breakfast. But at least Kopo was happy.

...

In another area of the forest not too far away four bandits were plotting revenge.

"Those damned kids!" Gantz growled. "We're going to make them pay."

"Aren't they teenagers? That wouldn't make them kids." Yanic piped up.

"And that lady that's with them is definitely not a kid either." Duin agreed with Yanic.

"Oh shut up!" Gantz growled. "I don't care they are still going to pay!"

"But that pretty raven haired lady didn't do anything to us. Do we have to make her pay too?" Hale wondered.

"She's helping those brats so yes!" Grantz near screamed at his subordinates. "Because of them we got blasted into the sky! I had to use three fly cards in order for us to catch up to them! We're going to beat them up, tie them up and use them for ransom!"

"But then we'll have to drag them all the back to Sailune! And it's so far from here." Duin whined.

"And what are we going to do about the pretty raven haired girl? And the guy? Also the doll?" Hale piped up.

"Who cares about the girl?!" Gantz growled. "We only need the bratty Sailune princess and the Tarforashian prince."

"But which one is the prince? The guy or the doll?"

"It doesn't matter we'll get both of them. One of them is bound to be the prince." Gantz declared.

"I wonder why they came out this far..." Yanic mumbled. "New Siaraag aside there ain't much around these parts."

"Who cares?! We're going to get them no matter what so what does it matter where they are heading towards? They aren't going to make it there."

"Yanic has a point." Hale interjected. "What if the brats are heading to some remote place because they know of some ancient secret treasure nearby?"

"Hmmmm..." Gantz tapped his chin while thinking over what Hale suggested. "Perhaps it would good to observe them for a little while just see what they are up to. If they are going after some ancient treasure we can attack them before they get it."

"But Boss how are we going to attack them?" Duin wondered. "Didn't we use up the last few silence cards the last time we fought them?"

"I still have more magic cards up my sleeves!" Gantz fished around his pockets and pulled out more of his onetime use magic cards. "These ones reflect magic back on the user. If one of those brats tries to use magic on us it will just be reflect back at them." He declared in a haughty voice. Clearly Gantz was very proud of himself.

"Cool! How many spells does each card reflect?"

Gantz frowned in irritation. "...one..." He grumbled. "I have more than one so shut up! Quit talking and keep an eye on the brats."

...

Once breakfast was done the trio and stuffed animal continued on with their journey towards Krimson. Sylphiel kept her eyes open looking around at her surroundings hoping to recognize something from her last trip to the red named town but nothing was jumping out at her.

The path they took was over grown with weeds, bushes and tree roots. It was hard to really call it a path as it just looked like dense forest all around them. If they were really on a path it wasn't one that had been used in a while.

Sylphiel had in her hand a compass and the map of the area. She was supposed to be leading though Kopo was marching ahead as though he was the leader. It was comical as there shouldn't be any way Kopo would know the right direction but somehow he seemed to be managing just that. To anyone watching the four travellers it would look like the three humans were being led by a skipping stuffed animal.

"Miss Sylphiel are you sure we're going the right way?" Amelia asked as she picked out another branch from her hair. There were far too many low hanging branches to contend with.

"Not really. But according to the map and the compass we're going to the right way." Sylphiel explained.

"Does anything look familiar to you?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "No. I wish I could say that at least one thing looks familiar but I can't."

"That's okay as long as we have the map and compass to go by I'm sure we'll find our way." Amelia declared in her typical positive good always triumphing over evil attitude.

Though Amelia was confident Sylphiel was so much herself. They still weren't 100 percent sure that Krimson was IrC'nn. It didn't seem likely that it was anything else but still Sylphiel couldn't help but have doubts. With Pokota's health in jeopardy every moment they had was precious and couldn't be squandered. Were they actually going to a place that would have the answers and solutions they sought for Pokota's condition or were they just wasting what little time Pokota had left? It was a lot of pressure being put on Sylphiel's shoulders. The thought of failing Pokota left a very horrible feeling in Sylphiel's stomach.

'I see why Amelia's been so troubled with this situation.' Sylphiel thought to herself. 'It's hard enough to watch a friend go through something like this that it's worse when there's little you can do to help.'

Sylphiel turned around and spied a quick look at Amelia and Pokota. Both seemed to be in good spirits despite the situation. They at least seemed confident that they were heading towards a solution. Sylphiel returned her attention ahead. Her stomach was still unsettled and there was another problem added to it. She had the strangest feeling that she was being watched. A quick scan of the area proved that wasn't the case but Sylphiel just couldn't shake the feeling. 'Calm down Sylphiel you're just nervous. No one is following us as no one would have any reason to. And we're going to find IrC'nn because it is Krimson and we'll find Pokota's cure. Everything is going to be okay.'


	30. Chapter 30

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty, Perception Shift

By Relm

At some point during midday Kopo just stopped in his tracks. It was very strange as he just completely froze like as if he turned into a statue. Pokota had asked his little clone turned stuffed animal what was wrong but Kopo move a muscle or make a sound. None of them knew what was wrong. They kept asking Kopo but if Kopo could answer he was choosing not to. A loud roaring from Kopo's belly told the others the answer. It was lunch time.

True to his nature the moment lunch was ready to eat Kopo was active again. Kopo had never done such a thing before when he was hungry. But given the way Kopo seemed to smile and jump about they figured he just did it to be funny.

Once lunch was over it was back to traveling they went. Since switching bodies and realizing his cloned body was dying Pokota had gotten used to not being able to travel well. He often had to take many breaks and eat more food than he was accustomed to. However with the glowing water at his disposal that wasn't the case. The trio and stuffed animal didn't have to stop nearly as much during their trek cutting down their traveling time by quite a bit. It was almost as if he was normal and not dying. He just had to ignore the constant nagging pain and then everything was good.

While Pokota was enjoying feeling 'normal' Sylphiel wasn't feeling quite so pleasant. Like earlier in the day during breakfast Sylphiel was fighting off the strange feeling that they were being watched. But no matter how many times Sylphiel looked around she just couldn't see anything. If there was someone watching them they were doing it from such a distance that they couldn't be seen. Either that or they were really good at hiding.

Though it did seem silly to Sylphiel that there would be anyone out that far spying on them. Unless it was someone from New Siaraag that was just following them to make sure the trio and stuffed animal didn't run into trouble it didn't seem possible for anyone else to be in the area. And if they weren't from New Siaraag and spying on them what would the reason? It just didn't make sense.

So Sylphiel had to continue to ignore her nagging feelings much like Pokota had to ignore his nagging pain.

Amelia? She was anxious. Of course she wanted to get to Krimson as fast as they could so they could find this elfin temple but that wasn't why she felt anxious. The passing of time was what was making Amelia edgy. Night time just couldn't come fast enough. Amelia wanted a chance to talk to Sylphiel but she couldn't do that if Pokota was around. So the only time Amelia could do that would be after Pokota went to bed.

Every so often while they walked Amelia found herself staring at Pokota. She knew she should stop because it would be embarrassing if Pokota caught her but she just couldn't help it. It was like she was seeing things clearly with open eyes that had previously been closed. She knew what Pokota looked like before he had his body swapped with a doll; she had seen it when Rezo had been occupying it. So Pokota's appearance shouldn't have been surprising to her. And though this koppi version of Pokota's body was a little different it was mostly the same. Yet it was like Pokota was a very different person. The Pokota she knew before was a person that was fiercely devoted to his kingdom and his people with an almost childlike air to him. This Pokota seemed older more mature and strangely more attractive. This Pokota was also more angsty and depressed; qualities that were common with another man she was fond off. It was all too confusing for Amelia.

Zelgadis who was usually the most present thing in Amelia's mind was being pushed further and further into the background. It was natural for this to be the case if the thoughts that were pushing Zelgadis away were focused purely on Pokota's condition. At first that was what it was but somehow things started to change a little bit. Sure she was still worried sick about Pokota potentially dying but now she was starting to entertain other thoughts about the Tarforashian prince...

It made Amelia feel like she cheating on Zelgadis! Not that she was actually in a relationship with the chimera but still the same Amelia felt like she was doing something that she shouldn't be doing. But then again she had never kissed Zelgadis before.

Focus on the problem at hand Amelia told herself. The only thing that mattered right now was that Pokota was dying and they needed to cure him. Any of that other stuff was secondary right now.

...

"So where do you think they are going?" Hale wondered as he and the others struggled to keep up to Amelia, Pokota, Kopo and Sylphiel at a safe distance.

"Don't know this area too well. How about you Duin?" Yanic asked his fellow bandit. Unlike the rest of them Duin was the only one from the western side of the demon peninsula.

"Hmm... the only thing I know of in this area is a city called Krimson..." Duin mused.

"What's so special about Krimson?" Gantz grumbled in annoyance. Though he had agreed it was best to keep a distance and see what the 'brats' were up to it wasn't helping his patience any. Their group was one that often did small quick jobs. They attacked, got they wanted and left. Going after a princess for ransom was far more ambitious then their normal deal but it had started as a good attractive idea that could get them lots of money The longer the job took however got Gantz wondering if it was even worth it.

"Don't know, only been there a couple times when I was a kid. They do have this big statue in the middle of the town that I think is made of jade or something. I'll bet it's worth a lot of serious cash."

"Maybe that's what they are after!" Hale exclaimed. "They are planning on stealing the statue!"

"Hale don't be stupid!" Yanic shook his head. "There's a shrine maiden with them and shrine maidens don't steal."

"How do you know she's a shrine maiden?" Hale retorted back.

"She's dressed up like a sorceress but she's all pretty and innocent looking. She has to be a shrine maiden." Yanic insisted.

"Now who's being stupid?! You can't tell a person's a shrine maiden because they are pretty!"

"Will you two shut up!" Gantz growled. "They ain't stealing the statue because of a shrine maiden. Princess Amelia of Sailune is with them remember?! She doesn't do 'unjust' things like stealing!"

"Oh! That's right!" Both Yanic and Hale exclaimed at the same time.

"Stupid idiots..." Gantz shook his head. He was really fighting the urge to smack them both. "Anyway Duin you said that the statue is jade?"

"Wait maybe not... It was white so it was probably marble... but no there was jade in the statue I'm sure of it! The eyes are jade." Duin insisted.

"Well maybe that's something we can look into once we get the princess. Even if it's marble the statue could be worth something to someone." Gantz mused.

"But how will we lug a huge statue around boss?" Hale wondered. "We don't got a horse and carriage to transport the thing."

"We'll worry about that later!" Gantz growled. "Those stupid brats are first, the statue second!"

"I wish we could get closer to hear what they are saying." Yanic grumbled. "That way we'd know what they are up to."

"But if we get too close they will figure out we're there. The shrine maiden already looks suspicious of us."

"It's annoying... and you can't tell she's a shrine maiden just by the way she looks Hale!"

"Yes I can Yanic!"

"Shut up both of you!" Gantz growled. "Otherwise you're going to tip them off!"

...

Further ahead the traveling trio (and stuff animal creature) pressed on not knowing they were being tailed. With night quickly approaching they set up camp and started making dinner. Or rather Sylphiel made dinner while the others sat and watched. Sylphiel wasn't a control freak when it came to cooking she just moved too fast. By the time Amelia or Pokota would finish a task Sylphiel could have done the same one three times over.

"I'll bet you were a head chef at a fancy restaurant in a previous life." Pokota commented as Sylphiel served them dinner.

Sylphiel stifled a giggle and tried to hide her blush. "Well thank you. So Amelia how did you want to do the watches tonight? The same as yesterday or do you want to switch it up?"

"Same as yesterday please!" Amelia said far too quickly and enthusiastically.

"O-okay..." Sylphiel replied stunned at Amelia's response. 'Well she did take part of my watch before it was time for hers so I guess she would be tired and want to get some sleep first.'

"I still think I should be taking one of the watches tonight." Pokota exclaimed with a very cross huff.

"No!" Both Amelia and Sylphiel at the same time.

"Now eat up quickly. The sooner we get to bed the sooner we can leave tomorrow. And if we get an early enough start I'm thinking we might get to Krimson sometime tomorrow night." Sylphiel advised.

Kopo had no problems jumping right into his food. In fact he was already eating before Sylphiel even said anything.

The rest of the meal was relatively silent. Everyone ate in comfortable silence until their food was finished. Then Kopo, Amelia and Pokota unrolled their bedrolls and went to sleep. Sylphiel sat by the fire idly poking it from time to time. She was so engrossed by the dancing flames that she almost screamed when she saw Amelia sitting up staring at her. "Oh my goodness! Amelia I thought you wanted to sleep!" Sylphiel whispered.

"No I only said I wanted to take second watch because I wanted to talk to you." Amelia whispered back.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Amelia let out a deep sigh before getting up and sitting herself down next to Sylphiel. "It's just... lately... I've been thinking about things I shouldn't..."

"Like what exactly?"

"Pokota..."

Sylphiel frowned not quite sure where the Sailune princess was going with this. "Because of his condition?"

"No... well yes... No! I don't know! It's all so confusing. Until all this mess started things were simpler. I was in love with Mister Zelgadis and Pokota was my friend."

Sylphiel's eyes shot wider open then they had ever been. "You're in love with Pokota?!"

"NO! No! I... don't think I am... I'm just so confused! This is Mister Zelgadis' fault! He leaves without saying goodbye all the time or if he does he makes promises that he never keeps. I write him tones of letters and he barely answers any of them!"

"Are you and Mister Zelgadis in a relationship...?"

"Oh gods no! He doesn't know how I feel about him."

Sylphiel had to fight the urge not to sigh. She knew better, Zelgadis had to know how Amelia felt about him. Amelia was very obvious after all. 'He's probably keeping her at a distance because he doesn't feel the same way and doesn't want to hurt her.' "And what exactly is the problem? If the two of you aren't even in a relationship why should it matter to him if you're having strange thoughts about Pokota?"

"Because Pokota is supposed to be just my friend!" Amelia exclaimed while nervously tugging on her tunic.

"When did this start to change for you?"

"Well he's been different since he came to me for help. Unhappy, distance, more negative..."

"And more like Mister Zelgadis." Sylphiel finished off the sentence. "And you're afraid you are only feeling this way because Pokota right now is reminding you more of Mister Zelgadis, the jaded cursed man who just wants to be normal again."

Amelia let out a huge sigh. "Actually there's a little more to it than just that... A few nights ago when we were still at your house Pokota made a very sad request. He couldn't sleep and he was really depressed about dying. There are all these things he wanted to do before he died and he knew he wasn't going to get to do them. One of those things was to kiss a girl..."

"He asked you to kiss him?" Sylphiel asked even though she knew the answer.

"Yes and I did. It was so romantically tragic and it's awful of me to think about it this way. He was just so depressed and I know it's just because I was the only girl there in the room with him at the time but it just made me feel... I don't know I felt... I was sad but there was something else too... And last night I heard him talking in his sleep. Miss Sylphiel he said my name! Pokota was dreaming about me! It's a coincidence and I know it doesn't mean much but a part of me hopes maybe that Pokota has feelings for me."

Sylphiel cringed when Amelia said that. Just last night she had to deal with Pokota professing his supposedly unrequited feelings for Amelia and here Amelia was doing just the same thing. Pokota confided in Sylphiel assuming that she wouldn't betray his trust and tell Amelia. But does that trust really apply when Amelia was telling her the same thing? "Do you want him to have feelings for you?"

"I don't know. Yes it would be nice if someone liked me as more than a friend but whether Pokota does or not I don't know if what I'm feeling is going to last. Am I just feeling this way because Pokota is drifting off to a darker side? Do I only have feelings for damaged people that I want to fix or is it just a coincidence that I'm stuck between two tragically cursed men? If all goes well and Pokota is cured will I still have these feelings at all?"

"And that's why you're afraid to say anything."

Amelia nodded. "I'm confused Miss Sylphiel... which is it? Are these feelings real or am I just letting my sympathy and empathy get the best of me?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "No Amelia. There's no way I'm going to answer that question for you. What goes on in your heart is between you and it. I cannot make that call and guess the answer. Because that's what I'd be doing Amelia, guessing. For now forget about how you think Pokota feels. Concentrate on you and what's in your heart. And wait. If you think it's just because of his curse then wait till after he's cured to make a decision."

"But what if he doesn't get cured... what if... he... dies...? Wouldn't I be making the hugest mistake of my life I didn't tell him how I felt before his life ends?"

"If you don't know how you feel then how can you even tell him in the first place Amelia? Just go to sleep Amelia. You're going to be extremely tired when I wake you for your watch if you don't get some rest now. Maybe you'll dream up the answer to your problem. Or at the very least maybe some rest will give you some clarity." Sylphiel offered hoping that would do the trick.

Amelia frowned but relented. She didn't protest at all, instead she went to her bedroll and tried to go to sleep.

Sylphiel could only shake her head at her two slumbering friends. She hated being in the middle of all this.


	31. Chapter 31

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-one, Go West!

By Relm

That next morning had been a tense one for Sylphiel. It was bad enough knowing Pokota's little secret now she had Amelia's as well to contend with. And what made matters worse was that neither of her friends were acting much different. It made things uncomfortable for Sylphiel as she had to pretend everything was normal. Otherwise either one might suspect that Sylphiel had broken her promise and said something. As annoying as this was Sylphiel pressed on with the morning rituals of breakfast.

Despite having foggy memories of Krimson Sylphiel knew they were getting closer to the city of red. Breakfast was a quick one and the threesome (and stuffed animal) packed up and continued on.

Not much was said those first few hours of travel. All of them were eager to get to where they heading to that things like idle chit chat didn't seem necessary. They only bothered to talk when it was time to stop for lunch and even then there wasn't much conversation.

Amelia herself was deep in thought thinking over her conversation with Sylphiel. Pokota was supposed to be Amelia's friend but somehow the Tarforashian prince had morphed into something more. Amelia had been hoping for answers to her problems from her shrine maiden friend but Sylphiel had ended up creating new problems. Amelia had thought she was starting to have feelings for Pokota because he was reminding her of Zelgadis but a new possibility popped into Amelia's heading during her conversation with Sylphiel.

Perhaps the only reason why she liked Pokota and Zelgadis was because they were both cursed and depressive. It stood to reason that maybe if both men were cured of their ailments that Amelia wouldn't have feelings for either man. Though it wasn't exactly vain of her Amelia still didn't like it. One shouldn't only like another because they were damaged. It made Amelia feel disturbed. She always thought that she was the kind of person that saw the goodness in everyone and those qualities were that attracted her. Not the problems within the person that she could fix.

Whatever the case was it didn't leave Amelia in a position where she wanted to get into a long conversation. What if while she was talking to Pokota and he looked deep into her eyes during it? He'd see there was something different with Amelia. Amelia couldn't trust her eyes, her face or even her own voice. Not that Amelia would be likely to get into an intense conversation while they were all walking towards Krimson but still Amelia felt safer in silence.

Pokota himself was a little curious about the silence. It wasn't an unwelcome thing though it was strange. He had to wonder if he had done anything wrong to upset Amelia or Sylphiel. Pokota wasn't about to ask though because nothing pissed off a person more than asking them if they were upset with you when they were.

Kopo was oblivious to everything he just bounced around happily munching on a sandwich.

"Are the sandwiches okay?" Sylphiel dared to ask. They couldn't spend the whole day in silence so someone had to break it.

Amelia and Pokota both nodded their heads.

"Miss Sylphiel do you think we're getting close to Krimson?" Amelia wondered after she swallowed a bite of her lunch.

"Yes we are. We're actually much closer than I had originally thought. If we continue on with our current speed I think we could make it to Krimson before dinner." Sylphiel explained.

"Well that's great! Don't you think so Amelia?" Pokota exclaimed.

"Yes it is." Amelia responded but didn't look up from her food.

"Oh course we're looking for IrC'nn not Krimson so it still could be in a completely different area. But still we'll be that much closer to the elfin shrine of wishes." Pokota continued on while looking straight at Amelia hoping to engage her gaze.

Amelia nodded but still didn't match his stare. She still kept staring at her sandwich as if it was the most important and precious thing in the world.

Pokota frowned. It was clear that Amelia was avoiding his gaze and that wasn't like her. Amelia was pretty good about giving someone her full attention while she talked to them. She was looking Sylphiel in the eye when she talked to her but Amelia wasn't giving the same courtesy to Pokota. 'I really must have done some wrong...'

Sylphiel was also frowning at the sight before her. This wasn't like Amelia and Sylphiel knew exactly why her friend was doing it. It was easier to keep a tighter rein on your emotions if you distanced yourself from what you covet. But that didn't help poor Pokota. 'Amelia he's already going through so much and now you're going to throw the cold shoulder at him too?' "Let's finish eating quickly and get going. The quicker we can get to Krimson the better."

...

"Everything that shrine maiden makes looks good..." Yanic said while drooling. He was hungry and the stale bread and dried fruit he had to eat didn't look near as scrumptious as what their targets were eating.

"They're just eating boring old sandwiches Yanic!" Hale exclaimed. "And you can't know she's a shrine maiden so quit saying she is!"

"She is so a shrine maiden!" Yanic snapped back. "And I'd take those boring old sandwiches any day."

Gantz just shook his head. "Duin what do you think? Are they going to Krimson or not?"

Duin nodded. "They have to be going there I'm sure of it. There isn't anything else around here. They'll probably get there by nightfall."

"We should get ahead of them and ambush them before they get to Krimson." Hale suggested.

"Yeah we could use some more of those magic cards to fly over to Krimson!" Yanic added in excitement.

"We have no more of those cards! We used all the flying ones to get here you idiots!" Gantz growled. "And besides if we could fly they would see us before they reached Krimson!"

"Do you have a magic card that makes you run really really fast?" Duin wondered.

"Yeah like a speedy card!" Yanic exclaimed.

"There you go again Yanic saying dumb things again. If there's a card to make someone go really fast it wouldn't be called a speedy card!" Hale snapped.

"Oh yeah?! Then what the hell would it be called Hale?!"

"Obviously it would be called a 'hurry' card. As in you use it when you're in a hurry?"

"You're full of crap Hale! You're just making that up!"

"Both of you shut up!" Gantz growled once more. "It's called a haste card and no I don't gots any of them on me! So no more chit chatting we follow the brats and wait for our chance."

...

Leading the group searching for the elfin temple was the little koppi turned stuff animal that was known as Kopo. Instead of his usual hop the little long eared guy decided he'd rather be marching. He held a stick in the air as he marched looking so gleefully happy.

Pokota just had to shake his head at the sight. "That Kopo is one odd duck."

"He's a clone of you I guess that means you're at least a little odd yourself." Amelia said with a snicker.

Pokota shot her a look of mock disgust and stuck his tongue out at her.

Amelia couldn't help but giggle.

"Well I suppose you're right, I guess I'm a little bit odd. But better to be odd than boring right?" Pokota flashed a dazzling smile at Amelia.

Amelia whom had been trying to avoid such a situation found herself staring at Pokota's bright smile and warm gaze and it happened. She knew it happened, she could feel it. It had to be that because there's no other reason to explain why her face suddenly felt so warm. She blushed. So Amelia did the only thing she could think of doing, smile and look away.

Pokota was still smiling but one of his eyebrows was raised quizzically. 'Did she just blush?' He thought to himself. The notion seemed ridiculous so Pokota just shook it off.

"Kopo stopped again." Sylphiel piped up breaking Pokota from his thoughts.

"He can't be hungry already." Pokota grumbled as he walked over to his little friend. "Kopo why did you stop for?"

Kopo didn't say or do anything. The little stuff animal just stood there frozen like a statue which was quite comical as he froze in a mid step position with one leg raised up in the air.

"Kopo." Pokota poked his friend but still the stuffed animal refused to move or acknowledge Pokota. "I don't get why he stopped for."

"We're not already at Krimson are we Miss Sylphiel?"

Sylphiel shook her head. "No Krimson is still at least another half hour's walk in this direction." Sylphiel pointed down the trail ahead of them.

"So why did Kopo stop then?" Amelia knelt down to look Kopo in the eye. "Kopo why did you stop?"

Still the stuffed animal refused to respond or move.

Amelia frowned not knowing what to do. Kopo wouldn't even look her in the eye he just kept looking up and ahead. Following his gaze Amelia found herself looking at the tree right in front of them. It was a fairly large tree but otherwise didn't seem to be all that interesting. Or rather it would have seemed that way if Amelia had been standing when she looked at the tree. But kneeling down on the ground looking up as she was Amelia saw something a little strange about the tree.

"Amelia what is it?" Pokota asked after watching Amelia stare at the tree for a while. The Sailune princess was starting to act as strange as Kopo.

"This tree... there's symbols carved into it..." Amelia mumbled in awe.

Sylphiel frowned as she looked at the very same tree Amelia was looking at. Sure there seemed to be the occasional scratch or knick in the old bark base of the tree but nothing looked like anything interesting. "Are you sure Amelia? Because I don't see anything special."

"Look up from here." Amelia pointed to the tree.

Pokota and Sylphiel did as Amelia instructed and knelt down and looked up. Sure enough the seemingly random etches in the tree did reveal symbols, elfin symbols.

"Is that what I think it is...?" Pokota mumbled.

"Yes! It's elfin!" Sylphiel exclaimed.

"What does it say?"

"IrC'nn is that way!" Sylphiel pointed to the direction the symbols pointing to. Krimson was just ahead towards the north while the direction Sylphiel was pointing to was to the west.

Kopo turned around and smiled.


	32. Chapter 32

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-two, Not Enough Time

By Relm

It didn't matter how long they had traveled or how tired the threesome and stuffed animal was at that moment they were riding the energy high of their lives. They were so close to the elfin shrine and possibly an answer to Pokota's plight. The instructions they had to follow didn't clearly state how far the shrine was from Siaraag but they had to guess it would be close. They could see the coastline in the distance so they had to stumble upon it soon. Otherwise if they didn't find the shrine by the time they hit the sea then that meant one of two things. One they had missed it along the way or two the shrine in the sea.

In reality Amelia, Pokota and Sylphiel had no way to know how far the shrine was. They didn't even know if it still existed. Just like all of Pokota's recent hopes he was chasing wild geese hoping one would be a gander.

Pokota's hopes were sky high and his adrenaline was pumping. This is probably the cause for the sudden resurgence of blinding pain. His pain had been manageable up until then because he had been keeping a calm constant pace. But now his pace was quickened as his excitement was growing. To be cured! Oh what a wonderful thought!

The pain was thorn in Pokota's side one that would not deter the Tarforashian prince. So without even so much of a fleeting thought Pokota opened the lid to his canteen and took a swig of the glowing water from the underground lab. It should have been a barest of sips as that water needed to last Pokota as long as it could. There were no guarantees that this shrine would hold the answers and solutions so Pokota needed so that water was very important. But Pokota was very much distracted and not thinking about the bigger picture. The swig he took was more of a long gulp like someone trying to quench their thirst with an endless source of water.

The canteen was noticeably lighter though Pokota paid no heed. He just clipped it back to his belt and didn't even think about it. It wouldn't last him past this excursion. If he didn't find a cure of his condition he was as good as dead.

...

"They're not going to Krimson." Duin observed watching the group ahead of them.

"Are you sure?" Gantz questioned his minion.

"Yup. If they were heading to Krimson they would have just kept on walking on the path they were going. But instead they went west. They are definitely not going to Krimson."

"Then where are they going?!" Gantz growled while pacing in a circle. "What is out west? What is over there?"

Duin shook his head. "I don't know boss. I haven't heard of nothing over in those parts. There's nothing to see."

"Except the ocean." Hale mused looking wistfully into space thinking of how good it would be to eat a cooked fish right at about then.

"Maybe they are going to go swimming?" Yanic suggested.

"Yanic don't be stupid! They ain't going to go swimming!" Hale snapped at Yanic.

"They could be."

"No they ain't!"

"You two shut up!" Gantz growled. "I'm sick of the two of you bickering. We have a bigger problem here then the stupid ramblings of you two."

"If they are going west towards the coast then they won't have a means to escape boss." Duin reminded Gantz. "If we corner them and attack they will be at our mercy."

"You see this is better." Gantz motioned towards Duin while sneering at Yanic and Hale. "Duin you're my new favorite."

"Really? Because just last week you were calling me an idiot because I ate the last roll and lit the rest of our dinner on fire." Duin mused while scratching his head in thought.

Gantz rolled his eyes. "One of these days I'm going to get better help..." He muttered. "Let's go after those kids!"

...

Pokota let out another tortured sigh as he struggled to keep up.

"Pokota are you okay?" Amelia looked to her friend with concern bubbling up in her eyes. "You don't look so good."

"I'll be fine. Just need more water." Pokota insisted and went to take another sip. But in doing so he realized that that sip was the last one he had left. "Uh-oh..."

"What?"

"I'm out." Pokota stated glumly.

"No more water?" Sylphiel took the canteen from him and looked inside. "This isn't good."

"It's okay since we're almost at the shrine right? And everything will be okay." Pokota insisted. It wasn't blind optimism that caused this sudden assurance in Pokota. It was more an act of desperation.

"Should we take a break?" Amelia wondered. "Maybe Pokota should have a snack?"

"No." Pokota shook his head. "We're almost there let's just keep going. The water is doing its trick I'm feeling better." He insisted. True the pain was ebbing away but there was still another pressing problem that the water wasn't fixing. The lack of focus in Pokota's eyes and the flushness of his cheeks were a dead giveaway.

Amelia saw this right away and the healer in her told her to feel his forehead. "Pokota you're burning up!"

"It's just a little fever. It's nothing to get worked up over." Pokota insisted knowing it was far worse than that. Though his head wasn't hurting it was feeling very heavy. It was taking most of Pokota's energy just to stay standing. He feared that if he didn't keep going on ahead he'd be on the ground in minutes

"I don't feel good about this." Amelia whined looking to Sylphiel for help. "Is there any way we can bring his fever down?"

"I can't do anything with magic but there are so some roots in my bag I could boil with water to make a tea. It would bring the fever down but it has to be brewed very slowly." Sylphiel explained.

"So shouldn't we do that?" Amelia suggested.

Pokota shook his head. "No we don't have the time to wait around for tea to brew. We're almost there so we need to keep going."

"Miss Sylphiel don't you think we should bring Pokota's fever down first?"

"No. Pokota's right we don't have the time to waste we need to keep going. Dip a cloth in cold water and use it on his head. That should help a little. Otherwise if we don't find this shrine soon a fever might be the least of Pokota's worries. His time is short and this shrine might be all that he has left to try." It was something Sylphiel didn't want to say but it was true.

"Shouldn't we have found it by now? We're almost at the coastline." Amelia couldn't help but be a ball of worry at this point in the game. There were too many things that could go wrong. It was very stressing for the Sailune crown princess.

"Just keep looking. The shrine could be hidden so look for clues." Sylphiel advised her friends.

Pokota looked at his little friend Kopo whom was bouncing around the woods. To someone who didn't know how the little koppi turned stuffed animal acted one might assume that he was just playing and goofing off. But Pokota knew better, Kopo was looking for the shrine. The little stuffed animal was the one that found the marker that lead them down on the right path to shrine. It stood to reason that he would be the one to find the entrance to the shrine too. "Kopo have you found anything yet?"

Kopo looked up at his friend and shook his head. For Kopo this was big gesture as it was extremely rare for the stuffed animal to ever indirectly answer Pokota let alone directly do so.

"He shook his head." Pokota exclaimed in awe. "That's a first."

"Perhaps Kopo realizes the importance of the situation and knows we don't have time for games." Sylphiel observed.

...

"They are looking for something." Gantz mumbled as he watched them. "Whatever it is it has to be close by."

"'Cause if it's the ocean they were looking for they wouldn't stop." Yanic observed.

"Don't you two start again!" Gantz sneered at Yanic and Hale before Hale could say anything. "They aren't looking for the ocean!"

"How can you be sure?"

"Because they wouldn't have stopped that's why!" Gantz exclaimed.

"Well the princess did feel that guy's forehead. Maybe they stopped because he wasn't feeling well." Hale countered feeling particularly proud of himself for picking up on that.

"So maybe they are looking for the ocean after all." Yanic added also feeling a swelling of pride.

Gantz just shook his head. "Look at them they are looking around in the current area they are in. If they were looking for the ocean then they wouldn't be looking around here! Something around here must be pretty valuable if they are searching for it pretty hard..."

"Are you thinking we should wait until they find what they are looking and attack them later?" Duin wondered.

"They could be looking for some ancient treasure... I'm not sure... If get them now before they find whatever they are looking for we'll never know... But then again if we keep them alive we could just torture the information out of them and then find the treasure ourselves... Keeping them all alive might be problematic though... AGH! I don't know what to do!" Gantz pulled his hair out in frustration.

"We could capture them and threaten them to give us the information. If they don't cooperate then we could kill one of them to show we mean business and demand it again. And even if they don't listen we could just kill all but one of them. So we'd have only one to worry about." Duin suggested.

"That's right... Then we can get the treasure and still hold the princess for ransom! We could bleed Prince Philonel dry!" Gantz put his hands together with dollar signs filling his greedy eyes.

"So should we wait until till they find what they are looking for or should we attack them now?" Duin prompted their leader.

"We attack them now!"


	33. Chapter 33

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-three, No Time to Think

By Relm

Sylphiel frowned as she looked around the area she believed the elfin shrine would be. She had assumed that as a shrine maiden she would sense something around the entrance telling her where it was. An elfin shrine should have some magical properties to it making it possible for someone like Sylphiel to sense. Unless of course the shrine was shielded like Eris' lab had been. If that were the case then Sylphiel was going to have a lot harder of a time finding it and they hadn't the luxury of time. Things were short as it was so finding that shrine fast was a top priority.

This sort of situation made Sylphiel wish this area of the woods was saturated with evil energy like around Siaraag. Because then it would be a lot easier to find a void amongst it.

If the shrine wasn't hidden there was another possibility but Sylphiel refused to entertain it. It could be that the shrine wasn't hidden but in fact destroyed long ago. The diary from which they were following had been written ages ago and there was no real way to tell if it was describing a place that still existed. The elfin shrine might have been ancient at the time the author of the diary found it. And with all the disasters that had befallen Siaraag over the years it was possible that similar fates had been suffered in the current area they were in. What if there had been a massive earthquake and the area that Sylphiel and the others perceived as the coastline only became as such after a whole second of land crumbled off and fell into the ocean? The shrine might have gone with it.

Thinking about such things didn't help their cause or Pokota's current condition. Time was running out and he needed to find this shrine fast.

So Sylphiel had to push those thoughts out of her mind while she and the others searched the area.

"Miss Sylphiel did you find anything yet?" Pokota called out from the area he was searching.

"No. How about you?"

"Nothing so far. What about you Amelia?"

"Sorry Pokota." Amelia called back.

Pokota would have asked Kopo but he couldn't see where the stuffed animal was at that moment. And if Kopo was going to answer Pokota it wouldn't be a verbal response. So it didn't make sense to even try and ask Kopo.

The stuffed animal in question was hopping around the trees and bushes searching just as hard as his human counterparts.

Looking under another tree root Pokota let out a sigh and went to stand up. As he did so he felt like someone had kicked him in the chest. He could barely breathe and trying to stand up proved to be near impossible. Pokota couldn't even call out for help his voice wasn't there. All he could do was blink. And with that blink Pokota was on the ground without knowing how he got there.

"POKOTA!" Amelia screamed as she ran to her friend.

"Pokota can you hear me?" Sylphiel asked as she looked Pokota over.

Pokota could hear the sounds around him but they sounded muffled and his vision was blurry.

"Miss Sylphiel his fever is worse! We need to find that shrine now!" Amelia looked around frantically.

There was a loud clanging noise as something mechanical seemed to be moving. Near the strange sound Kopo was jumping up and down trying to get the attention of the others.

Sylphiel looked over to where Kopo was and she too almost fell over like Pokota. As soon as that door Kopo unlocked under the stump of an old dead tree and the door opened Sylphiel was assaulted with strong magical power. It was like nothing Sylphiel had ever felt before and it made her dizzy. "I think Kopo... found... it..." Sylphiel mumbled.

Amelia whom wasn't as receptive to the magical energy could feel the power as well though nowhere near as strong. "Pokota! Kopo found it! Kopo found the entrance to the shrine! You just need to hold on for a little longer!" She urged Pokota.

Pokota didn't know what was going on but the look on Amelia's face told him things were going to be okay. 'Just keep it together Pokota!' He urged himself.

"Let's get Pokota to the shrine!" Amelia announced as she got up to her feet and she and Sylphiel lifted Pokota from the ground.

"I don't think so! You're not going anywhere!" A voice called out from the woods.

Sylphiel and Amelia turned around and looked to the source of the voice and they were greeted by the sight of four emerging from the woods.

"Oh no not you guys again!" Amelia cried out in exasperation. There couldn't have been a worse time for this to happen.

"Who are they?"

"Bandits! They already attacked Pokota and I a few times!"

"And this time we're not going to lose!" Gantz called out brandishing his sword and his magical enchanted cards. The other bandits did the same getting ready for the upcoming fight.

"We don't have time for this! Miss Sylphiel what are we going to do?! Pokota is getting worse!"

"Take Pokota to the shrine. I'll deal with the bandits." Sylphiel declared while handing Pokota completely over to Amelia.

"By yourself?! Miss Sylphiel there are four of them and one of you!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Amelia you know that I served with your kingdom's magical army. I'm more than magically capable to fight a few bandits. I can cast a dragon slave remember?" Sylphiel reminded her. "I'll be fine. Go!"

Amelia looked between Sylphiel and the limp Pokota in her arms. She didn't know what to do. Pokota needed her but at the same time Amelia didn't feel right with leaving Sylphiel alone to deal with the bandits.

Kopo jumped out from the bushes and ran to Sylphiel's side. He stood in front of the shrine maiden looking determined and battle ready.

"See Kopo is going to help me. GO!" Sylphiel begged Amelia as she brought up her hands to cast a protection spell.

Amelia cringed and turned away pulling Pokota along with her. He wasn't much bigger than her but at that moment Pokota might as well have been three times her size. Pokota was heavy and hard to drag. But she couldn't just give up she needed to get to that shrine. She had to save him. There was no way Amelia was going to let Pokota die.

As Amelia discovered the door leading down into the shrine revealed a staircase that was too dark to see anything. If this were a normal case of exploration Amelia would have casted a light spell and proceeded down the steps at a slow but steady pace. But Amelia didn't have the luxury of time so there was no being careful. As soon as Amelia saw the stairs she was storming down them with Pokota in tow.

Going down stairs in a hurried pace was rarely a good idea as it was easy to trip and fall. More so when one was dragging another person. Amelia had no way to grab hold of something if she fell. This wasn't something the Sailune princess was thinking about as she rushed down the steps. That is until she lost her footing and she and Pokota started to tumble down the staircase.

In the crushing panic that was coursing through Amelia's veins she couldn't think about what to do. She wasn't worrying about her own life at that moment though she really should of been. Falling and tumbling as she did down those stairs she ran the risk of breaking her neck with each hard landing. No Amelia was worrying about Pokota. Had Pokota broken any bones? Had his neck snapped? Was he already dead and was his corpse tumbling along entangled with hers?

During those scary moments Amelia forgot what she was. She was a healer, a practitioner of magic. Her gut reaction to any sort of situation of danger usually was to use a spell. It was what she was good at besides hand to hand combat. But with her body all amped up with fear and stress it took her a moment to get her head together.

"_LEVIATION!" _Amelia casted grabbing onto Pokota for dear life.

Amelia guided the two of them down the stair case till they reached the bottom. Once there Amelia cast a lighting spell and looked over Pokota. "Pokota are you okay? Are you hurt?"

These questions were in vain because Pokota wasn't even aware of what was going on around him.

Amelia checked every area of Pokota she could see for injuries. She didn't see anything besides a few bruises and Pokota's heart was still beating and he was still breathing. But his breaths were short and laboured and his heartbeats were very slow. Pokota was alive but not well.

Knowing that Pokota was okay for the moment Amelia flashed the lighting spell around the room to see where she was. There was stone slab tiling and cobwebs everywhere. Dust was in the air from all the tumbling around Amelia and Pokota had just done. It was clear that no one had been down there in a long time.

The power of the lighting spell seemed to resonate with the walls of the shrine and they lit up with glowing symbols. It was like when they had stumbled upon that underground lab with the glowing blue river running through it. The symbols all glowing and all in a strange language Amelia didn't understand. It looked like elfish to Amelia which was encouraging as she was looking for an elfin shrine after all. If Sylphiel were there Amelia knew that the shrine maiden would be able to translate the text but as it was Amelia was on her own. She had to look after Pokota, she had to save him.

The symbols on the walls were not just elfin words of magic. They were of warning. The only warning the inhabitants of the shrine would give those who dared entered without permission. 'Go back from whence ye came'.

Visitors were not welcome in this shrine and hadn't been for a very long time. But with all the chaos that had befallen this area of the demon peninsula no one had even dared try to enter. Who knew of the shrine but those whom had been long dead? Still the warning was up for those foolish few who chose to enter. A warning in a language that they knew but not spoken for ages. To know of the shrine would mean you would know the meanings of the symbols. So the warning was sound. Go back.

But Amelia couldn't read the warnings on the walls. She had a dying friend that she needed to help so she just pressed on hoping to find her way to wherever a person would go that needed to make a wish.

The glow of the walls travelled throughout the shrine lighting each symbol like a rolling wave. Every wall was lit up like a flame with all their symbols glowing. They flickered like fire but also beat like a heart at times. No sound could be heard but that of Amelia tiredly dragging her dying friend. But that wasn't the sound that woke those who slumbered. The fiery symbols burned with a loud crackle of magic that only they could hear.

And they woke up.


	34. Chapter 34

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-four, The Last Grains of Sand

By Relm

Whispers circulated through the cold damp corridors of the underground elfin shrine. Whispers that sounded like rogue gusts of wind breezing their way through to the untrained ear. But if you listened hard you could tell it wasn't ordinary air. The whispers though soft were not singular and they were not happy. From one end of the shrine to the other the whispers travelled till all that dwelled within the shrine walls was aware of the misdeed that had occurred. They had intruders in their shrine, human intruders – the worst kind.

It had been many years since anyone had dared trespass in their shrine, the last ones having faced deadly consequences for their actions. The foolish were always the ones that trespassed. They greedily wanted a wish as if wishes were fruit that grew on trees ready for anyone to pick. As shiny as apples wishes were not so easy to obtain. Not since that day, that horrible day.

Thinking of that day made the whispers angrier. They must be punished those that dared entered without permission.

...

Amelia wasn't paying too much attention to the strange noises and the odd lit up symbols on the walls. The only thing she was focused on was getting Pokota to wherever one makes a wish in the shrine. She tried to remember what sort of things Sylphiel had said while reading the journal but for the life of her she couldn't. The last thing she remembered about the shrine that Sylphiel read was the location. Had the journal writer even said anything else about the shrine in his or her book? Amelia wasn't sure.

Since Amelia was in a shrine it was natural assumption that it would have an altar of some sorts. To be a proper shrine one must have a location whom which the followers could pray from. And it was also a logical assumption that if one was to visit a shrine the granted wishes that an altar would be the site from which the wish requests would be heard. Furthermore a shrine's altar was normally in the centre so finding it should be an easy task.

That might have been the case had Amelia not been dragging a half dead Pokota along with her. If she had been alone surely she would have figured out the maze of twisting and forking hall paths to get to the center. But with the burden of Pokota's weight and the weight of his plight baring down on her Amelia was not at the top of her game. All the walls looked the same as did the symbols that adorned them. She felt like she was going in circles but had no proof of such. It wasn't like she had ended up back at the stairs leading up a few times. No she was yet to stumble upon them which gave credence that she was at least making some progress. Nether the less Amelia expected with each turn of a corner that she would happen upon the stairs that marked the beginning of her trek.

Pokota's breathing was shallow and wheezy. It seemed like it took the Tarforashian prince all his energy just to take a breath. The hour glass on his life was rapid running out of grains of sand.

Amelia readjusted her hold on her treasured friend as she continued to trudge along. At first she had thought Pokota heavy but now he felt like he had gained fifty pounds. The muscles in her shoulder and arm were really starting to ache and begging Amelia to take a break. This was something that Amelia denied her body. There was no way she was going to stop until she had reached what she was looking for. So she kept going but with each painful step she slowed down considerably. This effort by Amelia was futile as she really should have just stopped and took a break. But what Amelia knew was that is she stopped she wouldn't want to start up again. Besides fighting her aching muscle Amelia was dead tired. Being wound up with too much stress for the past week was really taking a toll on her.

Perhaps if Amelia wasn't so stressed and tired she would have remembered once again that she could cast magic. A few spells and she could have Pokota floating along beside her in a barrier as they searched the shrine. Sure magic could be tiring but it wouldn't be nearly as taxing as what she was currently doing.

Pokota's laboured breathing seemed to stop for a moment before the Tarforashian prince would suddenly violently gasp for air. It was like his body was forgetting how to breathe. The basic functions of his body were starting to slow and stop. It was very clear the time that Pokota had left was almost at an end.

"Please hold on Pokota! We're almost there!" Amelia pleaded with him.

_You're assumptions are not true... _A voice spoke to Amelia through her mind. The voice chose to communicate in this manner as Amelia was a human and not an elf.

"Who's there? Are you keeper of this shrine?" Amelia wondered looking around.

_She is a stupid one. _Another voice spoke through Amelia's mind.

_She is human of course she is stupid! Trespassers... _A third voice added to the mix.

There were more voices, many of them all talking at once making Amelia's mind scream in pain. She had trouble disguising the different voices and what words they spoke. "I'm sorry that you think I'm trespassing but is this not a shrine open for those who wish to pray? Is that not what a shrine is for?"

_Greedy humans come for wishes... They demand them and kill when they don't get what they want. Now we take what we want..._

"And what is that?" Amelia wondered out loud timidly.

_VENGEANCE! _

The glow from all the symbols on the walls exploded with blinding light and powerful energy that sent both Amelia and Pokota flying backwards onto the stone floor. As Amelia sat up blinking furiously to regain her sight she just barely saw the image of Pokota being dragged away into the wall by a shadowy figure.

"POKOTA! NOOOOOO!"

...

Above the staircase entrance to the elfin shrine of wishes Sylphiel and Kopo were engaged in battle with the bandits that had been stalking Amelia and Pokota. As in any battle Sylphiel tended to fall back to shrine maiden skills and go on the defensive at the start. So right away Sylphiel casted a high leveled barrier to protect her and Kopo.

Kopo stood ready within the barrier though notably miffed at being behind one. The koppi turned mystical stuffed animal creature had been all geared up for an offensive style battle just to be back seated into a defensive position. Naturally Kopo wasn't confined to the space behind the barrier. If he wanted out to fight on his own terms he could have just as easily done so. But in doing that he would have to leave his protective stance in front of Sylphiel. When Amelia had left with Pokota in tow down the staircase it was only because Kopo silently offered to protect Sylphiel. Even though he wasn't thrilled about the idea of standing idly Kopo wasn't about to abandon his post.

On the other side of the battle the bandits weren't too happy either. They had relied on the fact that the kids they had been going up against were magically gifted. The reflect cards would be useful against any offensive magic spells that could be thrown at them. They had expected black or shaman spells to be the first ones casted not white.

"See I told ya she was a shrine maiden!" Yanic taunted Hale while sticking out his tongue.

"Just because she can cast white magic doesn't mean she's a shrine maiden Yanic!" Hale snapped right back.

"Actually...I am... a shrine maiden..." Sylphiel admitted in a sheepish voice.

"Ha! I was right and you were wrong!" Yanic happily pointed out to his friend.

Hale shrunk down into a ball with his back turned away from the battle and his head low in shame. "I can't believe I live in a world where Yanic is right and I am wrong... What a horrible frightening world..."

"Hale get the hell up!" Gantz screamed at his underling.

"Boss what are we going to do? They aren't using any offensive spells." Duin whispered to Gantz.

"We'll just have to trick 'em into using one." Gantz whispered back.

"How?"

"We goad them into it." Gantz explained still whispering. He then cleared his throat and looked to Sylphiel and Kopo. "Well that's rather chicken of yous to hide behind dat barrier. Makes we wonder how you and the stuffed animal were going to ever take care of us."

Sylphiel knew that she could probably take on the bandits easily with her magic but she just didn't want to. She hated using magic to harm people if she could avoid it. Sylphiel as always was a healer before anything.

Also the area around them needed to be considered. If Sylphiel had learned anything in the past few days was that nothing was structurally sound especially if it was old. Casting destructive spells could make the ground under her feet unstable and in turn cause a cave-in in the elfin shrine underneath them. Sylphiel had no intentions of a repeat of what happened in that underground lab near Siaraag. Not with Amelia and Pokota in that shrine.

Another option was to just lure the bandits away from the entrance to the shrine so that she could have a proper fight. But as it stood there were almost backed up into a corner with only two directions left for Sylphiel to take the fight to – right behind her where the ocean was or – back where they had travelled from which was exactly behind the bandits. And if she flat out fled flying over them hoping to get them to chaise her there was a chance they wouldn't bother. Instead they would just go after Amelia and Pokota and ignore Sylphiel.

"There's nothing wrong with a strong defense." Sylphiel stated in mock confidence.

"It's wrong if it's all yous got." Gantz taunted her. "Why I bet you're hidin' in there because you can't cast a damned fighting spell at all! You're just trying to buy time till your friends get back. Because it's your friends that can really fight while you're just a sad little healer aren't ya?"

"I am a healer but I am many other things too!" Sylphiel insisted. "And I am not buying time!" She added even though that was clearly a lie. If anything Sylphiel wanted to buy as much time as possible for Amelia and Pokota. She had no idea how long it was going to take for Amelia to get Pokota to where he needed to be to make a wish. And whether or not it would take extra time for the wish to be completed. The last thing Pokota or Amelia needed was to be dealing with four annoying bandits when they were trying to cure him.

"Yous are buyin' time. Because you are nothing more than a scared little healer. Quite pathetic to leave the healer behind with no one to protect her. BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Sylphiel gritted her teeth but didn't take the bait. It was very clear to Sylphiel that the bandit was trying to goad her into doing something, but what? If she did drop the barrier and attacked using an offensive spell she would win there wasn't really a question about that. And if the bandits themselves were versed in magic they would have already tried firing a few spells at Sylphiel. As it stood they were there staring her down and she was staring right back at them. It was almost like the bandit boss wanted her to fight them. 'Something is fishy here...'

"Well come on girlie! If you're so much more than just a healer then just come out of dat barrier and show me!" Gantz dared Sylphiel.

"No. Why don't you show me what you're made off!" Sylphiel dared him right back.

"Huh? What yous playing at?"

"Well you're acting all high and mighty like you're so powerful and yet you haven't done a darned thing! If you're so special and strong why don't you attack me!" Sylphiel repeated her dare. "Why should I have to make the first move?"

"Ladies first?" Duin offered pathetically.

"Shut up you idiot!" Gantz smacked Duin in the stomach before redirecting his attention back onto Sylphiel. "How am I supposed to attack you when you're hidin' inside a barrier?! Step outside it and I'll show you what I'm made off!"

Sylphiel shook her head. "No. If you're powerful or resourceful enough then you wouldn't need me to lower my defenses. It's like asking a swordsman to throw down his sword so you may strike him down with your own. I'm not going to make myself weaker so you can hurt me. If you are strong then you'd find a way to get past the barrier."

"But hidin' behind a barrier ain't fightin'!" Gantz exclaimed.

"Yes it is. Sometimes in battle the best offence is a good defence." Sylphiel pointed out with a nervous huff. 'Amelia hurry and get Pokota cured! I don't know how long I can stall them!'


	35. Chapter 35

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-five, Worth and Greed

By Relm

In the past few weeks Amelia had experienced many levels of fear. Throw in her experiences where the world was potentially going to be destroyed and really Amelia should have felt every level of fear already in her lifetime. But as it turned out fear still had a couple more for her to feel.

Watching Pokota get dragged away was by the far the worst and most horrible feeling Amelia had ever experienced. It ripped at her heart and left her breathless and weak. After everything they had been through to get there it was unthinkable that something like this would happen.

"POKOTA! POKOTA CAN YOU HEAR ME?! WHERE ARE YOU?! WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN HIM?!" Amelia screamed at the top of her lungs while pounding on very same wall Pokota had disappeared into.

_She demands. _One of the voices darkly chuckled.

_As if we should listen to anything she asks. _

_Stupid humans. _

"I don't know why you are so angry for but I have done nothing wrong! Pokota has done nothing wrong!"

_Nothing wrong, nothing wrong? Nothing wrong! _The first voice mocked Amelia. _Stupid, stupid, STUPID! You trespass! Trespassing is wrong! You think because you are human you are above all things?!_

"Shrines are open to pray! How is that trespassing?!" Amelia dared the voices. This went against Amelia's normal diplomatic disposition but Pokota's life was at stake.

_You enter when you are not welcome! That is trespassing!_

"Well then I'm sorry! I didn't know! But please punish me and not Pokota! We came all this way for help! Please give him back!" Amelia pleaded.

_Give him back?! You trespass and then make demands?! We take what we want!_

"Then take me instead! Give him back!" Amelia begged.

_Do you love this man?_

"Wha-what?! Why would you-?"

_This man's life is worthless. And yet you would trade it for your own. Why?_

"Pokota's life is not worthless! He is my friend! He's a good man! He is a prince from a great kingdom that needs him. Pokota is honorable and fair and would do anything for his people!"

_His body is near dead. Yours is alive. Trading would be pointless. _

"That's why we came here! To find a way to save him!" Amelia explained.

In that moment all the voices stilled and the temple grew quiet. All Amelia could hear were the sounds of the wind blowing through the halls and the hammering of her heart in her chest. Amelia herself was too afraid to make a noise. Her breath was held as she waited a response.

The response Amelia got wasn't a verbal one nor was it clear. All the symbols on the walls one by one started to go out. They started with the ones down the halls Amelia had come from leading the ones ahead of her. Amelia wasn't sure what to make of it but the sudden darkness that was creeping up on her was not a welcome feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Amelia found herself running towards the dying light. As if she could keep up with the symbols going out she would end up wherever the voices had taken Pokota. The voices hadn't told her they were going to give Pokota back if she followed the light but that's all Amelia had left to go on.

The truth was the voices were doing just what they wanted; they were leading Amelia to exactly where they wanted her to go. As that turned out was the altar room and at the very end of it encapsulated in glowing green crystal was the crown prince of Tarforashia.

"POKOTA!" Amelia screeched as she ran into the room. She tried to get her to friend but as Amelia got within arm's reach of the crystal Pokota was entombed in she was thrown backwards by an invisible force. "What have you done to him?!"

_Keeping him alive. _A shadowy figure answered appearing before Amelia along with six others. This voice was deep and masculine which fit with his silhouette. This shadowy figure was larger than the others and stood in the middle making Amelia believe this was the leader of the shrine.

Amelia knew right away that these figures were some of the sources of the voices that she had been hearing. At first Amelia tried to focus her vision to see them more clearly and make out their distinguishing features. But the more she tried the quicker she realized there was none to make out. These figures were just ghosts after all and just shadows staring at her. "Why did you take him?"

_You trespass so we take what we want. You should be happy he would die within minutes had we not. _The figure to the right of the leader spoke. This one's voice was higher pitched than the leader though he too was male.

"For that I thank you but please give him back!" Amelia pleaded.

_We do and you will be getting is a corpse. Is his corpse worth more to you than his life? _The figure standing to the left of the leader spoke up. This one was also male.

"No his life is worth more! Please help him! Save him!"

_He is alive and will remain so as long as he stays entombed. We have already saved him._

"Heal him! Please! He doesn't deserve this fate! Help him!"

_Why should we help a human? Humans are evil. _This time the figure furthest right spoke. This voice was decidedly feminine though her shadowy figure didn't betray that fact. Amelia really have no way of even knowing what these elves had looked liked before their deaths. They were all just a bunch of shadows.

"Humans are not evil! Some may be but most of them are good people."

_No. All humans are evil... _The leader countered.

"They aren't! Why do think so lowly of us?"

_Because your kind is lowly. We open our doors to your kind to pray. We granted wishes to those that we thought were worthy. And yet they betray. _

The female one continued on, _The unworthy... They punished us for their dark soul demanding their wishes be granted. We were tortured and slain all in the name of human greed._

"...I don't know what to say... That is awful what was done to you all. But you have to understand the world is not the same as it once was. People are better now. These sorts of injustices are not common place. People are held accountable for their crimes."

_All we wanted is peace and yet humans once again disturb us._

"I told you I'm sorry. But I wouldn't have come if it weren't for a good reason. Please help Pokota! Save him! And I promise you no one will ever bother you all ever again. I am a princess and Pokota is a prince. Either one of us could use our influence to condemned the area above your shrine so no one will feel it safe to travel." Amelia pleaded with the ghostly figures of the elfin shrine followers.

_Idle promises... _

"I'm telling you the truth! I would sooner sell my soul to Shabranigdo than betray that trust! You would get your peace."

_Humans are liars. We were promised freedom from pain for our wishes. We granted though they were not worthy. It wasn't our fault they weren't worthy and the wishes did not work. _

_They hurt us more even though we did as they asked. Their greed was so strong the lies flowed from their mouths like water down a stream._

"I'm not lying! And this isn't greed motivating me. I'm not asking for a wish for myself, I am asking for my friend. All I want is for Pokota to have his life back. To be the normal living human man he was meant to be. He gave up his life once already to stop a piece of Shabranigdo! That piece would have destroyed Pokota's home, people and the world. How could asking to have such a noble selfless man to have his life back be a greedy wish? Especially when I am offering my life in return? Isn't my life worth that one wish? My life for his, please save him!"

A silence settled upon the room. The magical hum of Pokota's encasement was the loudest thing to be heard. Amelia watched on as the figures turned to look at each other. Though Amelia couldn't hear them speaking she knew they were communicating. They had to be. Amelia had offered something very valuable for this potential wish. It wasn't one she offered lightly. She knew exactly what she was doing. It was true to Amelia's character to put the needs of others above herself.

One could make the argument that her people needed her. She was a princess after all and Prince Philonel wasn't going to live forever. But Amelia knew her older sister was alive someone. If both Amelia and Philonel were to die Gracia would come back to Sailune. It wasn't even something worth questioning in Amelia's mind.

Pokota on the other hand was the only heir to Tarforashia. He had no brothers or sisters. And his father was quite old. Pokota is and would probably remain to be the only child the King would have. If Pokota were to die then the future of Tarforashia would likely die with him. And after all the pain and sacrifice Pokota did to ensure the safety of his people it was heartbreaking to think it would go to waste so quickly.

The figures turned back to face Amelia as they returned to their previous spots.

_Wishes are not granted in that such way. Things are not traded for wishes. Wishes are not things that can be bought. _

"If that's so then how can I convince you to grant me this wish?"

_We only grant wishes to those whom we deem worthy. _

"What do I have to do to be deemed worthy?"

The figure furthest right, the female, raised her left hand and opened her palm. A ball of energy emerged from her fingertips illuminating her face. This ghostly figure wasn't an apparition of the priestess's former beautiful living face but one of a twisted ghastly skull broken in so many places.

_It was our power and prayer that made this shrine what it was. Our devotion to Cepheid and the Mother spirit gave us the power to grant the worthy their wishes. We are dead eons ago and our souls are tormented from our pain and betrayal. Our faith was lost as was our power. _

Amelia crumbled to the ground completely defeated. She had been so sure this had been it, this was what was going to save Pokota. Now there was really no hope. "You... can't save him..."

_No. At best we can keep him alive in this slumbering state. _

"For how long?"

_Forever if we wish. _

"Then I thank you for what you have already done and request that you keep Pokota here safe with you. And I will keep my promise. No one will ever bother you ever again.

The cracked skull of the ghostly woman contorted in laughter. _No we will not let you leave with him in this state. If you care so much for this man and your heart is pure and not full of greed then he will be saved. _

"How? You said you have no more power to grant wishes."

The ghostly woman flicked her raised hand and the ball of energy flew to the ground creating a portal of _some_ sorts. It was a swirling vortex of black, green and blue. The image beyond the portal was heavily distorted making it very hard to guess what the portal led to.

_If you wish to save your friend then enter the portal and go through the dark maze. At the center of the maze you will find a forever blooming flower. This flower can heal your prince or anyone you chose to. But this is strong magic and this flower is delicate. It has only the power to save one life before it withers and turns to dust. _

"I can save Pokota! Thank you!" Amelia went rushing towards to the portal only to be repelled by that same invisible force. "Why did you stop me?! You said if go and get the flower I can save Pokota!"

_A warning first. This maze is fraught with perils. To rush foolishly will cause your undoing. Life is precious be cautious and wise. Do not throw your life away for something that isn't equal its worth. _

"Thank you." Amelia got up and dusted herself off. This time she walked towards the portal. The figures standing before Amelia disappeared as Amelia stepped into the portal...


	36. Chapter 36

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-six, Dead Things Live Here

By Relm

When one thought of garden mazes usually bright spring days full of flowers, perfectly manicured hedges and chirping birds came to mind. This was not the case for Amelia when she stepped through that portal.

The skies above her were a whirlwind of black, dark blue and grey. There was a constant breeze blowing through chilling anything it embraced making Amelia shiver uncontrollably. Everywhere Amelia looked she saw dead things. There were no beautifully blooming flowers, just rotten weeds and dying plants. She saw no chirping birds or frolicking wildlife just their picked clean bones littering the grounds. And the maze before her wasn't a bright green healthy and pruned hedge maze but an over grown dark swirling mass of sickly looking branches. There didn't even seem to be a way into the maze making Amelia wonder if she had to go around to find the entrance.

This maze, this area inspired fear in Amelia. It was creepy for sure but it was more than just the appearance of the maze and its surroundings that made Amelia paralyzed with fear. No matter what direction Amelia turned to look she couldn't see it but she felt it. Somewhere around her there was something staring at her. And what really bothered Amelia was that she knew it was more than one.

The female elfin ghost had warned Amelia that this journey would be dangerous so it was to be expected that she was being watched. No doubt Amelia would at some point have to fight something to get the flower. And even if she didn't Amelia assumed that whatever creatures that were lurking around the maze wouldn't let just leave with the flower. At the very least she would probably have to fight her way out.

Behind Amelia the vortex was still open and swirling. If she wanted to go back now and forget about this crazy quest then all she needed to do was turn around and walk just a few steps. Pokota was still alive and would remain so even if she didn't complete the task. She could turn back...

'No!' Amelia thought to herself. 'It doesn't matter what it will take I will get that flower and bring it back to Pokota! His future is in my hands! I cannot let fear get the best of me! I am not a weak and powerless girl. I have fought many terrifying foes in the past and I came out on top. Just because I'm alone doesn't mean that I can't do this. Be brave Amelia, be strong.'

With her fear abated somewhat Amelia stepped forward towards the maze. She had expected that she would need to travel around to find the entrance but as it turned out as soon as she stepped towards the maze it opened for her. This should have been a good thing for Amelia but the sight just gave her the creeps. This maze was enchanted meaning it was alive. Living mazes didn't always follow the rules of regular ones. This statement couldn't have rung truer because the second Amelia stepped foot within the maze it closed behind her.

Amelia wasn't a claustrophobic person by nature but at that moment she really did feel like the walls were closing in on her. She felt trapped and suddenly she was having trouble breathing. Immediately Amelia turned around to see if the maze wall would open again for her but it didn't. The twisted dark branches of the hedge maze refused to move. Amelia even put her hand to the maze wall willing it to open. All she got for her trouble was a few stinging cuts to her hand. This maze was riddled with thorns.

"Forward not backwards. The maze will reveal its exit when I find the flower." Amelia declared to herself. And with that Amelia started her search of the maze.

When looking for something hidden in a garden maze Amelia figured there were only one of two places that something would be. Either at the end of a maze (especially in those that do not have an exit but just an entrance) or right in the heart of it and Amelia's bet was on the flower being in the middle. The maze had opened itself to her making the princess believe that it didn't have a proper entrance or exit.

There was a sense of urgency bubbling away at Amelia but she pushed that rogue feeling down. Yes it was important to get the flower to Pokota but at the moment he was being kept in a magical stasis. It didn't matter how long she took it wasn't going to hurt Pokota any if she took her time. Rushing herself could mean making a mistake and a mistake wasn't something Amelia could afford to make.

So why the rushing feeling? It was of course Amelia's nerves trying to get the best of her. Anyone in a scary situation would want to get out of said situation as fast as they could manage. Amelia was no exception. But the Sailune princess pushed down that feeling as well. She was going to do this and do it right.

Right away Amelia had three directions she could go, forward, left or right. Forward would take her closer to the center of the maze but as mazes went there was never really a direct way to get to anywhere. So for sure forward wasn't Amelia's first choice. Left or right...

Amelia's gut was pulling her to the left so that's exactly the way she went. Though her gut told her this was the right way it still wasn't happy about it. She wasn't a shrine maiden though Amelia did have some of the spiritual connections a shrine maiden might have albeit weak ones so she should have felt confident in trusting her instincts. However Amelia wasn't confident.

With each step doubt seeded into Amelia's mind making her wish she had chosen another direction. Her fists were clenched tightly and going white. Had she a weapon to grasp Amelia for sure would have those fists of hers grasping it ready for an attack. Amelia had no weapon to wield but her fists themselves. So clench they were because Amelia was armed and ready.

Mazes tended to have many twists and turns and multiple paths you could take. Amelia expected to encounter at least one or two forks in her path as she walked but didn't end up being the case. The further she walked the further the path seemed to go. It seemed endless making Amelia doubt herself even more.

The never-ending path made Amelia wonder if the left and right paths were not separate paths but ones that joined together completely circling around the edge of the maze. Meaning she could just be going in circles with no real end or way to progress.

With all the doubt swimming in her mind Amelia wondered if she should just go back now and try one of the other two directions. But as it always was when it came to brain teasers your mind could be your worst enemy. Doubting herself and going back could end up with her trying one of the other two paths when in reality this one she was talking was the only true way to go. No she had to see it to the end. It was the only way you could know for sure if it was the right or wrong way.

She kept looking for that center path she had immediately decided against. If she saw that then she knew that the paths to the left and right connected with each other. But she didn't end up seeing that center path, instead she came up to a wall.

Finding a dead end might have been distressing but for Amelia it was a relief. She had gone the wrong way after all but at least she knew it was rather than guess it was. This time Amelia felt confident as she turned around to go back and take one of the other two paths.

Amelia knew it was going to be a while before she got to where she started so she wasn't surprised that it was taking a while to get back. But when she got back to where she thought she was at the beginning she was surprised with something unexpected.

Being that Amelia had originally gone left in going back to retrace her steps she should have come up to a path leading to the left with the area ahead unobstructed. But that was not the case. Yes Amelia found the path leading left (this would be the center one she had originally chosen not to take) but the area ahead (the right path) was now a wall. Had she gone too far?

Amelia turned around to look at the path she had been traveling and it now was a wall behind her. There was only one path left she could take. This was very troubling because Amelia didn't know how she was going to keep track of things now. The maze was changing on her. That claustrophobic feeling was starting to settle in again.

"This is not a bad thing. This isn't the maze trying to swallow me up. Its just showing me what is the right way to go. Be thankful for this Amelia not scared." Amelia said to herself. And with that Amelia took one big breath and stepped forward and further into the maze.

...

In the very center of the maze the wishing flower was blooming. Its petals were white, blue, purple and teal and they glowed with each hue it contained. This ever blooming flower was surrounded by the petals it had shed over the years all of them dark and black like the maze that surrounded it. But this magical flower wasn't dying but always growing forming new petals in place of those it shed.

This flower was part of the actual maze; it was the only good thing growing within it. That wasn't always the case. At one point this maze was full of these flowers and greener than any forest. But that was long ago before all the wars and strife. Many of the elves had died as well as their ways. No one was left to take care of this maze or any of the places that once held these magical blooms. This is why the maze was the way it was. The flower had to be protected.

The maze wouldn't die without the flower but the flower was part of the maze. It was the last good thing the maze had to offer and it wasn't something it was going to give up lightly.

So that's why when Amelia progressed forward the creatures watching her came out into view. These were not monsters, trolls, or demons. Like the flower they were part of the maze itself. These creatures were made of thorns, vines and blackened branches. They had four limbs and they walked on all four of them with the two front ones having large thorn like talons.

Four of them merged from the maze all growling seemingly mindlessly. But even if these grunts and growls weren't a form of communication the beasts didn't need to converse to know their purpose. They weren't four individual beasts but all extensions of the same thing; the maze. They all had one mind and could see everything all at once. That meant they also knew where the Sailune princess were.

With a final grunt three of the four beasts disappeared into the maze walls while the fourth followed the path that Amelia was taking. Its talons clicked with each slow step.

...

Back in the shrine the ghostly elves looked on watching the events unfold.

_The maze does not want to give up its flower. _Jroln one of the younger elfin ghosts stated.

_Of course it doesn't, this is its last flower after all. _Nhxl the leader of the group (the one with the deep voice) responded to the youngest of his flock.

_She will be killed. _Ckhaly was quick to point out. Of the seven he was always the most pessimistic.

_No, she is strong, she has magic. _Jroln quickly protested.

_Magic will no longer work in that place. _Mdagi spoke almost hauntingly as she looked on with sadness.

_Mdagi why would send her there with no means for her to defend herself?! _Lmonul exclaimed angrily. Though he himself was angry with what the humans had done to their kind he wasn't one to condone the slaughter of innocents.

_She is human she needs to die. _Ckhaly interjected rather smugly.

_Ckhaly I was not talking to you! _Lmonul snapped.

_That is not why Mdagi sent her nor is she unarmed. Her heart is pure and her soul strong. You wish to see her worth do you not dear sister? _Vlln looked on with an amused look on his face.

Mdagi didn't respond to Vlln she just continued to look on.

_But that is insanity! To prove herself might mean her own death! We have no magic left to help her! _Qpnix growled in frustration.

_For the love of life and goodness even things that seem dead and forgotten can still have new life. _Mdagi stated rather cryptically. _Her feelings for this man are ones she even denies herself and yet she would die for him. I wonder if this is the true depth of the human spirit or if this light is this just one that shines all on its own? She gives me something I have not felt in many years._

_And what is that dear sister?_

_Hope._


	37. Chapter 37

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-seven, 

By Relm

Every time Amelia came up to a fork in her path she would have three ways to choose from. And each time she picked direction that path ended up being the wrong one. She would come face to face with a dead end and have to back track to where the paths forked off. But Amelia didn't have to make a decision as to which of the two remaining paths she should take as one of them always turned into a wall. This was just like the first fork she encountered. And like that first one the path she came from also turned into a wall.

Though it was extremely creepy it was helpful for Amelia. No matter what if she went the wrong way the maze would show her where she needed to go. Amelia should have been happy with this fact but she was anything but.

With each step she took she felt the eyes on here. She was being watched even though she couldn't see who it was. Whomever or whatever that was watching her was doing so ever so keenly as if it was waiting for Amelia to make the wrong move. And then POW it would pounce.

It could have been Amelia's overactive imagination at work. She was tired, stressed and on a potentially dangerous quest. Amelia had every right to be paranoid. But you see it wasn't just simple paranoia at work for the Sailune princess. She had caught sight of it. It had been in the corner of her eyes and only for the briefest of moments but Amelia seen it. Something large and dark. One second it was there and the next it disappeared into the maze walls.

Such a feat wouldn't have been possible had this been a normal garden maze. But with one that was magical and living it wasn't odd at all. But had Amelia really seen something or was it her mind playing tricks on her? Amelia didn't even stop to ponder this, she just kept on going focusing only on her goal. Or at least that's what Amelia wanted to do. She wanted to block all scary and non-productive thoughts out of her mind but they just kept seeping their way back in.

Like let's say Amelia did see a would be attacker... Why hadn't it attacked her directly yet? What was it waiting for? And if the maze didn't want Amelia to take the flower why was it seeming to lead her right to it? The motivations were murky just like Amelia's confused mind.

Amelia's fists clenched tighter at her sides. Her anxiety levels were at an all time high. She had no way of knowing that she was nearing the center of the maze but she knew she was. It was hard to explain but Amelia felt a lot of dark energy in that maze. This miasmic energy wasn't visible but she could feel it to depths of her core. It was like Amelia was surrounded by death so thick that it threatened to choke her with each breath she took. This death had no stench but still it reeked that it made Amelia want to hurl.

The deeper Amelia got into the maze the more she was aware of the energy. It made her weak and want to collapse to the ground. Had it not been for the other source of energy coming from the center of the maze Amelia might have done just that.

This second source was a stark contrast to the first. It wasn't death but life. There was no other way Amelia could describe than that she felt the glowing light of life. A flower that could grant wishes would have to have very powerful magic. So Amelia knew this energy was the flower.

The further she got into the maze the stronger the energies felt, both good and bad. Amelia knew she was getting closer. She would be at the center soon.

'Don't worry Pokota.' Amelia thought to herself. 'I'm going to do whatever it takes to get that flower and bring it back to you. I promised I would help you and I will not go back on that promise. Your kingdom needs you. I... need you... Just wait for me for a little longer. I'll be back soon.'

Though Amelia made these promises in her mind there was no way Pokota would hear them. With magic Amelia might have been able to project her thoughts but Pokota was in magical stasis.

...

_She is thinking of him. _Mdagi mused with a sad smile. _Her fear is very strong and it's justified. She is in grave danger after all. She should be thinking of herself but he is the most present thing in her mind. _

_Her heart is quite pure. Purer than any human I can remember... _Lmonul admitted.

_That is only because your mind is muddled with memories of those that hurt us. You can't remember those that were good and honest. _Vlln explained.

_Lmonul remembers nothing because there was no good souls. All wretched and greedy! Whatever goodness they profess is just a front! Give it time and you will see the true colours of this one. She is no better than the ones that harmed us. She will show herself. _Ckhaly snapped at Vlln.

_How so Ckhaly? How will she show us her 'true colours'?_

_She'll run when it gets too hard and abandon her 'friend'. Or she will use the flower selfishly for herself. Our stasis will keep the prince alive indefinitely. Why would she need to waste a wish a man that will never die? She will use it for herself. _Ckhaly concluded.

_Do you wish to make a bet on that Ckhaly? _Vlln dared him.

Before Ckhaly could take that bet Mdagi interjected. _Vlln you will not make bets of this sort. Her spirit, heart and character are not something we will make hasty judgements on. Things will be as they are meant to be. Ckhaly could very well be correct but at the same time he could be very very wrong. I would rather pray for someone's success than bet on their integrity. _

_Such passion dear sister. Do you see things we are not privy to? _Vlln wondered.

Mdagi didn't answer. She had said all that she wanted to say on that subject. The rest was up to fate and the inner strength of a person's heart and soul.

...

It came in waves. That sickly feeling of complete gut retching nausea. One moment it rolled to be followed by a wave of pure positive energy. It lifted up one's spirits making think they could do anything right until that next wave of horrible energy rolled in.

The constant sensation really made Amelia want to throw up. She had never sensed such vile energy before. It was so bad that it didn't matter to her that she received momentary spurts of relief. If anything that made the experience worse. Her body couldn't get used to feeling so awful so each sickening wave just seemed to get worse and worse. But there was another reason for that. Amelia was getting closer to the center of the maze. The corrupted power that coursed through each vine, thorn and twig came from that point.

The calming uplifting bursts of energy were from that magical flower. Amelia was sure that once she held that bloom in her hands she wouldn't feel the sickly miasma of the maze. It was just a matter of summoning the will to get to it.

She came up to another fork but this time there was only two paths. Dead ahead or to the right. Amelia's gut told her this was it; one of these paths would have her at the center. This thought should have uplifted her. She was almost there all she needed to do was walk a few more steps and she would be half way to saving Pokota. But even though Amelia's gut was sure it was also a betraying thing.

One step further and Amelia came crashing to the ground. It wasn't just nausea anymore it was pain too. She clutched her stomach as she curled into a ball on the ground. Her body contorted with each heave but nothing came out of Amelia's mouth but disgusting noise. The dry dead grass under Amelia crunched loudly under her body as she laid there moaning. Stray blades stuck to Amelia's hair and clothing poking her at odd angles but Amelia couldn't even register it. Her body was far too consumed with the pain associated from her dry heaving to acknowledge anything else. The waves of positive energy weren't even doing anything for Amelia. The evil was just too strong.

'Is this how Pokota was feeling some days?' Amelia miserably wondered. Many times she had seen Amelia in obvious pain during their quest to fix his ailing body but Amelia had never imagined how bad it had been. Thinking about it now was a sobering reality. If it had been this bad for Pokota and he could still continue on then why the hell was she still on the ground for?!

Giving herself the mental slap she needed Amelia rose to her feet on shaky legs. She just needed to make it to the flower then it would all be okay.

Since she felt she was so close and one of those paths was dead ahead she knew this was the right way. Stepping forward Amelia didn't even look back to see what the maze was doing around her. If she had she might have been disturbed by the fact that maze completely sealed behind her. She was going the right way but now there was no way out. Would the maze give her an escape once she had the bloom in her hand? Or would her bones also litter the ground like the dead animals outside the maze?

These were things that Amelia was not thinking about at this moment. She didn't have time or energy to waste on pondering things that would surely put herself into a further state of duress.

The path Amelia was narrow and long. With each torturous step she took the path behind her disappeared. She couldn't even hear the maze do it. It was quick and silent that the Sailune princess didn't even notice anything was amiss. However what Amelia did notice was that no matter how many steps she took she didn't even come close to the end of the path. It felt like the maze was moving around her making the simple pathway a long stretch of endless green.

'Why is this taking so long? Is the maze doing this? Am I even going anywhere?' Amelia thought to herself. She was tempted to look back and see how far she had become but her gut told her that wouldn't a good idea.

Just as Amelia was about to give up the end finally showed itself. The pathway opened up to a large circular area with a pedestal in the middle of it. The pedestal wasn't made of marble or any other kind of stone but was part of the maze. It grew out of the ground swirling its branches and vines in a circular pattern with a single flower growing from its center.

Any ill feelings Amelia felt at that moment were banished by the sight of this flower. It shimmered and glowed with all the colours that graced its soft pedals. Swirls of white, blue, purple and teal a beautiful array of colour that a stark contrast the blackness that surrounded it. It was hard to say what these black things were just by looking at them but as another petal shed from the flower the discarded piece quickly withered and turned black.

"I did it! I found the flower!" Amelia exclaimed while stepping into the circular area surrounding the pedestal. The path behind was completely engulfed leaving Amelia stuck into a room with walls and no exits. At this point Amelia had only two ways of getting out of this maze. One of those would be to destroy her way out or to fly. Since she had no magic both methods would be very difficult. She wasn't thinking about this at this time as she was mesmerized by the flower before her.

She felt it calling to her and slowly Amelia was drawn towards it. It was more than just a pretty flower it had power. Power that she had never felt before in her life. It was like bathing in the pure light of heaven and having that brightness be absorbed into your body, mind and soul. She felt no pain, no fear, no worries... just bliss. Everything that was ever bad in Amelia's life seemed to melt away from her mind making her feel wonderful. She even started to forget why she was there. This daze was short lived after a good shake to her head.

"Yes Amelia it's pretty but you came here to do more than just stare at it." Amelia scolded herself. She reached for the flower slowly fearful for what might happen once she plucked the bloom away from its' home. Amelia took a deep breath and then quickly yanked the flower out.

The feelings of bliss wrapped around Amelia once more but she was too tense to notice it. Inside she was ball of nerves cringing and waiting for the worst. She even had her eyes squeezed shut in fear. But there was nothing but silence. Amelia felt no strange energies nor did the maze start to implode.

Relieved Amelia let out the breath she had been holding and she opened to her eyes.

Crouched before her on all fours staring a very menacing stare was a large beast made of vines and thorns.

"GRAAAHAHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It screamed in Amelia's face a horrible inhuman scream.


	38. Chapter 38

_Author's Notes: Just a warning we are getting towards the end of this fanfic. This isn't the last chapter but the end will be soon._

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-eight, Hammer of Justice

By Relm

Fear. It was one of those forces that could completely petrify a person or make them run blindly while screaming the whole while. For Amelia the former was what gripped her as she stared down the beast before her.

It was clear by what it was comprised of that the beast was just another extension of the maze. Amelia now knew the answer of why the maze was leading her the right way. Just passing through the maze wasn't enough to incur punishment as it needed a bigger more heinous transgression. It had wanted Amelia to take the flower so it would have proper reason to punish her.

Now Amelia would face whatever punishment the maze would deem fit and Amelia assumed from the menacing gaze of the creature before her that it meant her body ripped to pieces with her bones picked nice and clean.

The situation seemed dire but as Amelia soon discovered it was about to get worse. Three more creatures appeared and joined the first completely surrounding Amelia. If she dared move she would see a creature in each direction circling her. As it was Amelia's attention was completely on the first one that stood dead ahead of her.

A fleeting thought passed by Amelia's head of trying to maybe talk to the creatures. Maybe she could appeal to their gentler nature and show them she was not a threat. However this maze was most likely ancient meaning it was doubtful that they could understand her spoken language if they could understand anything at all.

The bones outside of the maze... Had they been animal bones...? Or had they been human...? Amelia shuddered at that thought.

With a grunt the beasts started moving. They began to circle Amelia going clockwise breathing heavily with each step their sharp teeth jutting out of their jaws. There didn't seem to be any purpose to this display as Amelia was very much surrounded. The only thing Amelia could think of was that the creatures were taunting her. Perhaps they liked to toy with their food before they ate. Regardless it didn't put Amelia in a good position but it did give her a moment to think.

'They aren't normal flesh and blood creatures; they are made of vines and branches like the maze... Fire would be my best bet for getting out of here. Even if it doesn't kill them it should at least scare them off giving a chance to run.' Amelia thought to herself. 'But to do this right I'm going to need both hands free.' She looked down at the flower in her left hand. 'Better to keep this closely on me so I don't lose it.' Not trusting her own pockets Amelia instead decided to stuff the flower inside her shirt. As long as she didn't land face first onto the ground and squish it the flower should be fine or at least that's what Amelia had hoped. Putting her hands together Amelia chanted under her breath.

"_Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. FIREBALL!" _

Amelia forcefully thrust her hands forwards expecting there to be a fireball ready to jump off her fingertips but instead the Sailune princess was greeted to the sight of just plain air.

...

Above the shrine Sylphiel and Kopo were still engaged in 'battle' with the bandits. Though to call it a battle was a laugh as it was still just one party staring down the other. Sylphiel and Kopo were on the defensive while the bandits were trying to get them to attack. The battle was at a standstill with both parties getting restless.

Sylphiel kept trying to think of ways to lure the bandits away from the shrine opening but nothing good ever came to mind. She still wasn't sure why the bandits were so instant on wanting her to attack first. Things smelt fishy to her and she wasn't about to play into a trap.

"Why don't we use our weapons on them?" Hale whispered to Gantz while brandishing his own weapon. It wasn't a large broadsword but a small crude looking dagger.

Gantz took one look at the small blade and rolled his eyes. "Really Hale? You want to get up close to them with that pathetic thing?"

"Well it's all I've got left. I lost my big sword the last time we got blown away." Hale huffed in insult. What guy wouldn't take offense about someone calling out the size of their sword?

"If we all rushed at them we could probably take them down." Duin pointed out. Between the four of them they had one sword and five daggers. Not the best to go into a fight with but not the worst either.

"Yeah right we go at them all focused on slashing them with our weapons and then we'll get sloppy and forget about the magic. We get hit by a spell and BAM we're airborne again." Gantz quickly shot the idea down.

"But boss they ain't doing anything!" Yanic whined.

"We have a perfectly good plan and we're not going to scrap it just because all of yous are impatient!" Gantz growled in a hushed tone. "Now shut up and keep watching!"

Over on Sylphiel and Kopo's side the shrine maiden was frowning. She could see the four bandits pulling out their weapons and whispering to each other. It made Sylphiel nervous as she didn't have a proper weapon of her own to fight with. Sure she had her rod but she couldn't even swing the thing without closing her eyes and cringing. Sylphiel just hated the idea of hitting anyone. If the bandits did try and attack her using their weapons then Sylphiel would have no choice, she would have to use a magic spell.

Since meeting Lina Inverse and then aiding with the magical army in Sailune Sylphiel had added quite a few spells to her usual repertoire of protective magic. There was any number of spells she could use to subdue her opponents in a normal situation but this was anything but normal. Any spell too big or two destructive could cause a cascade effect destroying the shrine under them.

There was another problem Sylphiel had looming over her and that was in the form the little magical stuffed animal in front of her. She didn't know if Kopo could properly understand human language and in turn he couldn't really communicate himself. Sylphiel could warm him not to do any massive spells but she could have no way if he understood her. Kopo was keeping to a defensive stand like she was but Sylphiel could see the frustration building with him. He was just itching to fight.

"Kopo!" Sylphiel whispered.

Kopo didn't turn around but the slight tilting of his head told Sylphiel that he heard her. Or at least that's what Sylphiel had hoped.

"Whatever you do we can't do big destructive spells. It could cause the shrine to collapse in on itself. It's too dangerous for Amelia and Pokota." Sylphiel told him.

Kopo nodded slightly though it was still dubious to whether or not he understood.

'Hurry up Amelia!' Sylphiel mentally pleaded to the Sailune princess.

...

Being blinded by the realization that she couldn't use her magic gave Amelia another reason to be unable to move. She was both stunned and frightened. After spending most of this journey at the mercy of her time of the month it gave her confidence going into the maze knowing that she could use her magic. To have that taken away from her yet again was just floor falling out under her. Her heart stopped and her stomach felt like it had turned into ice. What was she going to do? She was scared, more so than she had ever been in her life. Going up against Zanifar or Shabranigdo wasn't even as scary as this. She was alone with nothing but her bare fists to use to defend herself. How was she going to get out of the maze alive?

Perhaps the beasts could smell the increased fear within Amelia because once the Sailune princess started panicking the beasts ceased their pacing and went back to staring at her. Their jaws opened and if they were made of flesh and bone rather than branches and thorns then drool would have been dripping off their fangs.

Amelia's fists were clenched tight. They were all that she had at her disposal.

_That's the only thing you have. _A voice spoke up in the back of Amelia's mind.

Amelia cringed. Yes she did have something else she could use, the magical flower. It was nestled in her shirt resting against her chest. It was light and its petals soft but at that moment it weighed a ton. It was her whole reason for being there. It was Pokota's last hope. There was no way she could ever use it for herself when he needed it more.

_What good is it to Pokota if you die before you can even get it to him? _Again that voice spoke up pointing out the practical truths she didn't want to hear. Amelia imagined and an angel and a devil sitting on her shoulders whispering things into her ears. Even though this voice was practical and telling her the truth Amelia imagined this to be the voice of her little devil. It made the most sense but it was too selfish.

'No I will not use the flower! I will get back on my own and get it to him!' Amelia declared. With those balled fists of fury Amelia focused on one of the beasts in front of her. "_PACIFIST PUNCH!" _

...

_I thought you said she couldn't use magic? _Jroln looked to Mdagi in confusion.

_That was not magic. _Mdagi stated with just a couple ounces of pride colouring the tone of her voice.

_It must be! Look she knocked away that beast like it was a feather with just one punch! _Jroln insisted motioning for Mdagi to look at the results.

_That was not magic but the power of her righteous soul. It burns so brightly and hotly that her will cannot be deterred. She is desperate and wishes to save her friend. She would move a mountain if she had to to ensure his safety. _

_Moving a mountain would be easier. She's still going to die. _Ckhaly was quick to point out. _She only stunned the beast. Look it's up and now it's angry. _

_She's running and running fast. Maybe she'll get to freedom before they catch up. _Lmonul countered Ckhaly's pessimism with his own optimism.

_The only way she's going to get of this alive is if she uses that flower for herself. _Ckhaly stated all knowingly.

_It will be as it is meant to be. _Mdagi silenced everyone.

...

Amelia's lungs were burning. She was running and running fast. In all her life she couldn't remember ever needing to work her little legs this hard. She was in shape but this was putting her to her limits.

Somehow but some freak chance she had stunned not only the beast she had hit but all four of them. It seemed that none of them had expected Amelia to use her metaphorical 'hammer of justice' on them. It gave her the precious moments she needed to start running.

Her hand hurt like hell but at the moment it was just her lungs and her legs that had the most attention. She was running almost blindly through the maze. It could have been very problematic if this had been a normal garden maze. But as it was as Amelia started running a path had opened for Amelia. It was the only way she could go but it was by no means the most direct path out. No this path was a spiral that went round and round the maze till it finally got to its end.

Amelia wasn't thinking about how long it would be to get out of the maze but the creatures that were chasing after her. She kept daring to look back and was frightened each time to see they were getting closer and closer. The speed she was going wasn't fast enough to keep them at bay and even if it was there was no way she could keep up this tempo. She was already pushing her limits.

This was bad.


	39. Chapter 39

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Thirty-nine, Fire Exits

By Relm

Above the shrine Sylphiel was really getting anxious. She had no idea how much time had passed though it felt like it had been hours since Amelia had taken Pokota down into the shrine. Sylphiel wanted nothing more than for Amelia and Pokota to come back up with good news. Because then Sylphiel wouldn't have any problem dealing with the bandits in front of her.

It was obvious to Sylphiel that the bandits wanted her to make the first move though for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. It made little sense to her as the bandits didn't look the type to be magically inclined. How could they possibly defend against a strong magical spell? It didn't make much sense to Sylphiel. Still she couldn't risk casting a huge spell because of the potential instability of the ground below them.

'I'm sure they aren't magically gifted. They probably wouldn't know the difference between something big or small.' Sylphiel thought to herself. 'I'll try something small to test them and see why they want me to make the first move so badly.

Sylphiel raised her arms and started to chant.

"Look boss she's gonna cast something!" Duin slapped Gantz on the arm excitedly.

"I know Duin!" Gantz grumbled. He got out his reflect cards ready to use them. It made feel so smart to be able to use his opponent's attacks against them. 'To think all those idiots back home called me stupid! I'll show them!'

"_Light which burns beyond crimson flame, let thy power gather in my hand! LIGHT!" _Sylphiel yelled out as she thrust a ball of pure light towards the bandits in front of her. It was just a harmless little ball of light. In fact it wasn't even a strong version of the spell; Sylphiel had made it as weak as she could possibly manage. She was only meaning to test them after all.

Being that it was just a lighting spell it shouldn't have been cause for alarm. All one would need to do is shield ones eyes and all would be fine. But to a person who had little knowledge of magic or wasn't expecting a sudden appearance of a flying ball of light it could be frightening to see. This was the case with the overeager Gantz when he saw the light spell coming straight at him.

Gantz quickly and proudly used one of his cards without even realizing his error.

Sylphiel blinked in confusion when she saw the same light spell she had casted come right back at her. Naturally Sylphiel just shielded her eyes and let the light spell flying past her and land on the ground behind her and Kopo.

"Huh?! What happened?!" Gantz exclaimed in confusion.

Sylphiel on the other hand wasn't so confused. Now it became all too clear to Sylphiel why the bandits wanted her to attack first. The leader had planned on reflecting Sylphiel's spells right back at her. However that in itself was confusing as she didn't see the bandit cast anything himself. 'He held up something in his hand when he deflected my spell... It looked small and now it's gone... a card perhaps?' That did seem like a plausible explanation. Sylphiel had seen magical cards before in the past though she herself wasn't interested in using them.

What a magical card happens to be is a single time use magic spell. They had the potential to be very powerful or very weak depending on who was the one that crafted them. Basically in order to endow the magical spell into the card one would have to cast said spell onto said card. Magical symbols were painted onto the cards so they would absorb and hold the spell being cast into it. And all the card user would have to do to use it would be hold up the card and concentrate on using the spell. The user didn't even need to know how to use magic a simple thought was all that was needed.

There were pros and cons to using such cards. On one hand you could have a bevy of spells at your disposal without even worrying about over taxing yourself to use. On the other hand you had little control of the power or duration of a particular spell. If the maker was a weak spell caster then the resulting magic spell from that card would be weak and pathetic. Plus the degree of control was minimal. Basically once the spell was unleashed the card user would have little or no control of the power, duration or even precise aiming of said spell. This was why most magic cards were single burst type spells like an attack spell such as a fireball or a defensive spell such as protect.

Another big problem with magical cards was that you had no way of knowing if the maker of the card was a strong magic practitioner by just handling a card. They were marketed for those who didn't use magic anyhow so they wouldn't be able to spot out a good one from a bad one even if you could tell by touch. And since these cards tended to change hands many times over by different pedlars you couldn't even know for sure who made the card.

Sylphiel didn't have any way of knowing if the bandits cards were of a good maker's variety though she guessed they weren't anyhow. They themselves didn't look like the reasonably wealthy type or even the middle class sort. Their clothes were old, dirty and tattered and their weapons didn't seem to be much better either. From just looking at them these guys were just low leveled bandits, the kinds that Lina and Gourry would often eat for breakfast. Or rather eat with the money they stole from the bandits they robbed/killed. So Sylphiel felt confident that these bandits didn't possess magic cards to really get into a destructive magical brawl. They had been banking on her magical prowess after all.

'They probably only have reflect magic cards. Well then maybe I should make them waste all those cards.' Sylphiel thought to herself with a rather devious smile trying to crawl up her face. The smile fell as Sylphiel could never really look devious even if she tried her hardest. So the smile that did end up making its way to her lips was just a content yet innocent looking smirk.

"Damnit boss she's smiling! She knows she's got us beat!" Hale exclaimed with in a hissing whisper.

"Shut it Hale!" Gantz growled. "She's just smiling because she knows she got lucky!"

"Or maybe she doesn't even know any offensive magic. She is a shrine maiden after all." Yanic reminded them still proud that he had been right about this fact earlier.

"She said she did!" Gantz countered.

"But she could have been lying." Yanic countered back.

Gantz narrowed his eyes at Yanic and hit his subordinate over the head. "Shut it Yanic! She'll use a good spell I know it!"

Sylphiel held up her hands again ready to begin casting another spell. Rather than utter the incantation under her breath so as to not let her opponent know she was spell she was casting Sylphiel spoke these words out loud. _"Source of all power..."_

"See look she's casting a strong spell!" Gantz exclaimed while getting another card out and ready.

"_...crimson fire burning bright. FLARE ARROW!" _Sylphiel shot her 'flare arrow' at the bandits.

The bandits whom were expecting an epic barrage of flaming arrows were surprised as the flare arrow heading their way wasn't an arrow but a small flaming carrot. But it was too late Gantz had already used the card and that carrot was sent right back at Sylphiel.

Kopo being the strange creature he was snatched up the flaming carrot and ate it. Despite being magical and on fire Kopo was able to do so without any harm. In fact the little stuffed animal seemed to enjoy the flaming vegetation.

Sylphiel giggled. It had been a long while since she had casted a 'flare carrot' like that. She had long since mastered casting the spell properly since that time in Rezo's laboratory. And even though she could cast a proper flare arrow she was still able to cast her vastly weaker form of the spell. And it wasn't just the flare arrow spell either. Sylphiel could do all her weak buggered up versions of attack spells.

'I'll just keep casting meaningless spells till they use up all their reflection cards! That will show them!'

...

Amelia was running so fast that she was sure that her legs were going to fall off any second. Her whole body was screaming at her to stop but she couldn't. The four maze beasts were gaining on her and if she even faltered for just a second she would be dead.

She knew the maze was leading her in the most indirect way out and she was starting to get sick from constantly running towards the right. Well she was already sick from fear and fatigue but this sense of vertigo was just the icing on the cake. And Amelia really had no real way of knowing if the maze was really going to let her out. Maybe the maze was just leading her around in circles to toy with her. The creatures themselves were just extensions of the same maze she was running in. If the maze wanted her to be able to get out then it wouldn't be also trying to kill her at the same time.

'This is bad! What am I going to do?! I can't use magic and they're trying to kill me! What would Miss Lina do?' Amelia thought to herself in a panic. 'Miss Lina wouldn't keep running if she knew she couldn't get away. She'd stop and fight!' Amelia could just hear Lina voice in her head. The redheaded sorceress would state that if she was going to be dying regardless of what she did then she would rather die fighting. That was all fine and dandy but Amelia's life wasn't the only one at stake here. She needed to live to save Pokota. Not to mention he only weapon she had she already used and it was throbbing angrily. These weren't normal flesh and blood creatures but ones made of thorns and vines. Her physical attacks wouldn't have the same 'punch' they would normally.

Though Amelia's fists hurt her she could still use her legs to kick her opponents. The only problem with that was that she was using those same legs to run away from the creatures chasing her. They were already protesting in pain and fatigue. Would she even have the strength to lift them to do a kick?

The flower resting between her shirt and chest felt heavy. It was just a little flower yet it felt as heavy as a ton of bricks. This metaphorical weight was a reminder of the burden she carried with her. She sought out the flower so that she could restore Pokota's life back but it also offered her an escape from certain death. Her morals told her to continue on but her fear and fatigued riddled body was begging her to use it. Before Amelia had been set in her decision not to use the flower for herself. It had just been a fleeting thought and she had pushed out of her mind right away. Now the thought was back in her head and her body was moaning in agreement. There was no way she could keep this up.

Amelia didn't dare look back anymore. The last few times she had the beasts had gained more and more ground on her. If she looked now she might have been paralyzed with fear. One of the beasts was just a foot or two behind her. All it needed to do was slash forward with its long talon clad claw and Amelia would be down for the count. It was much direr than the Sailune princess was aware of.

Each breath was painful. She felt like she was breathing fire. Though Amelia was trying to run as fast as she could she was steadily slowing down.

'I'm not going to make it! But I have to! I have to get out of here! I have to get the flower to Pokota!' Amelia thought to herself in panic. Tears stung in her eyes as the desperation tried to take hold of Amelia.

But then just as Amelia was on the brink of giving up she saw it. The exit! She was almost there! Just a few more steps and she would be out of the maze!

And that's when Amelia tripped and fell.


	40. Chapter 40

_Author's Notes: Well here we are the last chapter of this strange little fanfic. I've had my ups and downs when writing it but I'm happy to finish this chapter. I wasn't even sure of the Amelia/Pokota couple idea but I have to say I'm all for it. It has a lot of challenges but that's fun I suppose. So thank you everyone who took this journey with me._

**Pokota's Plight**

Chapter Forty, In Time

By Relm

"_...bright, FLARE ARROW!" _Sylphiel casted another one of her pathetic flare carrots at the bandits.

On the other side of the battle Gantz once again was forced to waste another card. He was getting very annoyed. He wasn't sure if the shrine maiden actually knew how to cast any really competent spells or if she was just messing with them. Either way he was stuck using his cards as he just didn't know what she was going to do. Was this going to be the spell that was going to be the big one or would it be another dud? He just didn't know and it was frustrating the hell out of him.

'She better cast something worthwhile soon!' Gantz thought to himself as he reached for another card in his bag. However as his stuck his hand in his bag he was aghast to realize he had no more cards left. 'Shit!'

If Sylphiel had been paying attention to the faces of the bandits she would have seen the sheer panic in Gantz's face after deflecting that last spell. The panic would have clued her in to the fact that they were out of cards making this a good opportunity to cast a better spell. Since she didn't see it she was already casting another defective magic spell. _"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand, FIREBALL!" _

Instead of a ball of pure fire flying towards the bandits a flaming ball of cabbage flew at them. Without a card to deflect the flaming vegetable all the bandits could do was either brace for the impact or dodge. Since Gantz didn't announce that he was out of cards so he was the only one who knew to dodge.

"OW OWWWW!" Yanic yelled.

"BOSS! OW! Why didn't you reflect it?!" Duin yelled.

"I'm out of cards!" Gantz growled.

"What are we going to do?! She's going to destroy us now!" Hale exclaimed in fear.

"Look at her she's just a shrine maiden! All these pathetic spells are probably the best she can manage. Let's just rush them with our swords!"

During this conversation Sylphiel was already getting her next spell ready. As soon as she saw them not reflect her spell back at her she knew they had nothing left. So this time there was going to be no flare carrots. _"...all power, crimson burning bright, FLARE ARROW!" _

Instead of a flare carrot or just a single flare arrow being fired at the bandits they were hit by a barrage of flaming arrows.

"Run away!" Gantz screamed while flailing his arms.

Satisfied Sylphiel tried her hand at an evil smirk. Again it just looked like an innocent smile.

...

Amelia couldn't breathe. She felt like she had been kicked right in the stomach and all her air was gone. She had been so close, so close to freedom and then it happened. A rouge root poking up from the ground had been the cause. Amelia had been so focused on the freedom ahead of her she didn't see that darned root right in front of her. Her foot caught the root and down she went.

Her heart was beating so loudly that Amelia couldn't hear anything else. It was like the whole world had been silenced around her with only the frantic thudding of her heart to be heard. Freedom seemed so close yet so far and all Amelia could do was feebly reach for it.

The weight of the flower was so heavy it felt like it was pulling Amelia down further to the ground. She was done for, finished. Her only way out now was to use that flower. If she wished to be safe she wouldn't die. But if she did that then Pokota wouldn't be healed. At best he would be stuck in magical stasis forever like Koppi Eris.

It made the most sense, use the flower, save yourself. It wasn't like Pokota was going to know any different. And he would have been mortified to know that instead of using that one chance to save herself Amelia instead chose to save the wish even though she had no hope of getting it to him. It really didn't seem to make sense for Amelia not to use the flower it was hopeless otherwise.

Still that thought wasn't even anywhere in Amelia's head at that moment. Using the flower wasn't an option, it never was. It was meant for Pokota and Pokota only. This was incredibly stupid but Amelia wasn't even thinking. Her stubborn sense of justice made her unable to be selfish. Plus the elfin ghosts had said this was a test to see her worthiness. If she selfishly used the wish on herself it might not work anyway.

It felt like it had been hours since Amelia fell but in reality it had only been a matter of seconds. Everything around her was going agonizingly slow and yet she was unable to move and get away.

A loud sound exploded in Amelia's ears, a cry so shrill and inhuman that it made her shudder. She knew what it was; it was one of the beasts. It was right on her. She didn't need to see what it was doing she felt it. The talons were razor sharp and they ripped right through Amelia's flesh like butter. The pain was far worse than she had ever felt before in her life.

"Pokota... I'm... sorry..." Amelia choked out as blood bubbled up her throat and dribbled down her mouth. Her eyes closed as she waited for death's embrace. Her last thoughts were of Pokota willing the flower tucked away in her shirt to heal Pokota. She didn't know if the flower would work for him being so far from him but that was Amelia's last hope.

...

_She would rather die than waste the wish on herself. _Mdagi stated proudly. _A human with a true noble heart. _

_You aren't going to let her die are you? _Ckhaly wondered in worry.

_Why are you suddenly so concerned with a selfish human Ckhaly? _Mdagi chuckled.

_Please do something! We can't let her die! _Ckhaly pleaded with her.

_She was never going to die. _Mdagi stated.

...

Amelia opened her eyes expecting to see heaven. That's the only explanation that made any sort of sense to her. She had been slashed and coughing up blood just moments ago, she should have been in lots of pain. But she oddly felt fine. Her surroundings however told her that she wasn't in heaven but back in the shrine. "How...?"

_You have deemed yourself worthy. _The female elf voice sounded.

Amelia over to where the shadowy figures once stood and was greeted to a much different sight. Instead of seven shadowy figures Amelia saw the faces of seven elves. Their faces were bright as was the robes they wore but their bodies were still transparent. These figures were still ghosts but their appearances weren't ghastly anymore. "I was dead..."

_No. You were going to die but you saved yourself. _Mdagi explained while tucking a stray strand of her dark red hair behind her long pointed ear.

A look of panic flashed across Amelia's face. The flower! Had she somehow used it on herself by accident? She looked inside her shirt and was relieved to see it was still intact. "I still don't understand. How am I alive?"

_Loss of faith made us loose our power. _Nhxl explained. _Our souls were tormented from our memories. _

_We couldn't see the world for anything but its darkest parts. _Lmonul added.

_You had that flower and you could have used it to save yourself. Instead you chose to wish for your friend's life. The power of the flower is strong but limited. It would not grant such a wish unless you were at least in the same dimension as your friend. _Mdagi explained further. _And yet you made this wish forfeiting your own life. You really have a pure heart. And you have renewed our faith in humanity. You did this. _She motioned to their present forms.

"So I can use the flower to save Pokota?"

_Yes._

"But it's the last wishing flower. Using it would mean that that garden would have nothing left living."

_Our faith has been restored and so has the life from that garden. It will take some time but things will grow once more. The seeds have been sowed. Our power will also return to us in time. This shrine shall once more be a shrine of wishes and healing. _

"Thank you! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!"

_You needn't thank us as it was you that has restored us. In time we will welcome humans again once our power has restored completely. Now use the flower and save your beloved!_

Amelia held the flower in her hands and closed her eyes to concentrate. She wished with all her heart that Pokota would be healed. She felt the magic from the flower flow through her fingers as it traveled to where Pokota was encased.

The magical energy surrounded Pokota making his body glow a golden colour. Once the energy subsided there didn't seem to be any noticeable changes to the Tarforashian prince but the elves removed the encasement from him regardless.

Pokota mumbled slightly as he slowly woke up. "What happened? Where am I?"

"Pokota! You're alive! How are you feeling? Are you in any pain?" Amelia rushed to her friend delighted to him awake. She noticed right away that his eyes were no longer a mismatched set. They weren't Pokota's golden hazel colour but that icy blue that that other eye had been. And his hair was still streaked with darker purple shades.

"I'm fine... I'm fine! I feel no pain, in fact I feel great!" Pokota exclaimed with excitement. He grabbed Amelia and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "How did this happen?!"

_She risked her life to save yours. It was her that saved you for your death. _Mdagi explained.

"No, no they saved me. They are the reason you're alive not me." Amelia insisted.

_No it was you. You could have died and yet you chose his life over your own. _Mdagiturned to Pokota and stared very intently at him. _She has the purest heart we have ever seen. Do not waste this heart of hers young man. Cherish her as she cherishes you. _

Right away Amelia blushed a furious crimson as she tried to look everywhere but Pokota's questioning eyes.

"I... will... thank you." Pokota bowed before the elfin spirits.

...

Things were quiet between the two royals as they walked through the silent halls of the underground elfin temple of wishes. The gravity of the events that transpired over the past few days were heavy and tiring but at least they were over.

Pokota was awash with relief. His life was his again and he wasn't going to waste it. He was going to be the best prince he could be for his kingdom and he was going to live each day he had to the fullest.

Occasionally Pokota would look at his savor, the angel of mercy that was the crown Princess of Sailune. Amelia had saved his life and if he was to believe what the elfin ghost had to say then Amelia could have died. And that same ghost had said that Amelia cherished him. It was an odd thing to say about someone who was just a friend to another. Memories of that bittersweet kiss flooded into Pokota's mind reminding him of every sensation from that night. He had found his feelings for Amelia confusing and it was probably best to not read into them that much. Better to stand back and let things cool a bit before making any rash decisions.

This practical thinking was meant for one whom had time and had never had their life threatened to the point of actual death. Time was something that was borrowed or stolen. You didn't have an infinite supply of it. To waste such precious moments on practical thinking was idiotic.

"Amelia?"

"Yes Pokota?"

"What that elfin ghost had to say..."

"She was embellishing. They were as much of a reason for your body being healed as I was. It wasn't right for her to shift all the glory to me." Amelia exclaimed in annoyance.

The comicalness of Amelia's annoyance made Pokota chuckle. "Only you would be annoyed about all the credit going to you. But that's not what I was going to say."

"Oh?"

"She said... that you 'cherished' me. What do you think she meant by that?"

Amelia blushed once more and nervously played with her fingers while looking down. "Well I guess... because it's true... I cherish... all my friends."

"Hmmm... yeah that makes sense."

An awkward silence fell over them and both wondered if this would be the end of it. Had those few tentative steps they had taken past the line of friendship be as far as they were going to go before retreating backward?

"Amelia... I know this is... awkward... but about that kiss..."

"Forget it I completely understand, it seemed like a hopeless situation for you."

"No. I don't want to forget it. Listen I know Zelgadis is... 'special' to you... but is there any possible way I could end up being even half as 'special' to you as Zelgadis?"

Amelia's heart skipped a beat at that question. It was something that she had been wrestling with for a while now. "I... don't know... maybe... maybe you could be something... in time..."

Pokota smiled. It was a very unsure answer but it wasn't a definite no. He knew Zelgadis was a big part of her heart but maybe just maybe in time Pokota could squeeze himself in there too. There was hope. He had his life back and he wasn't going to waste any minute of it.

Tentatively Pokota reached for Amelia's hand fully expecting her to pull hers away. Instead she took it blushing all the while.

The End.

_Author's Notes: It didn't seem right for this point for a full blown romance for Amelia and Pokota thus I went a more innocent feel. Yes she still has feelings for Zelgadis so it doesn't conflict with that idea but it still is Pokota/Amelia. To me this seems more natural. Maybe one day I'll write a fluffy Amelia/Pokota fanfic but for now they can hold hands._


End file.
